Onyx and Vampire
by Rider Paladin
Summary: Post-Dragon Knight, Rosario to Vampire series A/U: Unable to forgive himself for his betrayal of Ventara, the original Kamen Rider Dragon Knight takes up the black dragon deck and retreats to another world, where he might find the redemption he craves.
1. Darkness Dragon and Vampire

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 1: "Darkness Dragon and Vampire"

Disclaimer: Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and Viz Entertainment. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang and Adness Entertainment. I have no connection to either property except as a happily entertained consumer, and I make no money or other material compensation from this story.

Author's note: This story fuses the Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and Rosario + Vampire universes to create a unique reality, one where Kamen Rider Onyx – speculated to be the traitorous original Dragon Knight – takes Tsukune's role in the story of Rosario + Vampire.

Why Kamen Rider Onyx? One, he's a blank slate. Two, we don't exactly know why he betrayed the other Ventaran Kamen Riders; knowing how Dragon Knight has portrayed its antagonist Riders so far, it's probably more complicated than it seems. Of course, since my explanation most likely won't be canon, that makes this story an A/U.

Why am I doing this? For craps and laughs, man, for craps and laughs; that's the only good reason to write stuff this crazy. Thank you, Kamen Rider Chrome, formerly known as ZK Chromedragozoid, for inspiring me to do this with your wonderful story, Rosario to Kiva. Let's ride.

* * *

A young man with sandy hair of a shade somewhere between brown and blond, sat in a moving bus, watching the world as it passed by. He wore a black leather jacket with silver stripes resembling tire treads down the sleeves and sides. Underneath the jacket, which he wore open, was a tucked-in white dress shirt with the top buttons undone to expose the collar of a black T-shirt and khaki pants. His name was Adam, formerly Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, and now Kamen Rider Onyx . . . the cursed black dragon. He was a monster, he knew; Ventara was damned by his cowardice, along with the Kamen Riders he had fought beside. That was why he had no choice but to leave; he was not welcome on Ventara, nor would he have a home on Earth.

Thus, he was coming to Yokai Academy, the only place a monster like him would be truly welcome, and a monster he was. He looked at the cell phone in his hand, the phone his Earth alternate and replacement Kit had given him. It began to ring, and the identification shown on the screen was Len, otherwise known as Kamen Rider Wing Knight.

Adam looked at the phone, wondering whether he should answer it. As much as his heart was relieved that Len still wanted anything to do with him after what he'd done, he also knew that he didn't deserve Len's forgiveness, or that of any of the other Kamen Riders. It was at the moment he was about to choose to answer or not answer that the bus passed through a tunnel. The phone immediately stopped ringing when that happened.

When the bus came out of the tunnel, Adam was confronted with a strange new world. It looked kind of like Earth and kind of like Ventara, except darker and more foreboding, somehow. The trees had no leaves on them, their branches stretching out into the sky as if to strangle the clouds. "You're going to Yokai Academy, right?" the driver's gruff voice broke the silence.

"Yes," Adam replied.

"Sure you're gonna be all right here?" he asked.

"Whatever fate I suffer here will be richly deserved," Adam answered darkly, as the driver came to a stop.

"We're here, kid."

"Thanks." Adam took his things and stepped out of the bus. He looked around and saw a forbidding forest in front of him. "I'm going to need a ride."

* * *

To that end, Adam explored this other world he'd found himself in. During his wanderings, he found strange creatures of various shapes and sizes, some more humanoid than others, walking around. They hardly seemed to notice him or care all that much about him, one way or the other. Spotting a motorcycle shop, he walked right in, noticing that it had varying types of motorcycles, from cruisers to sport bikes to dirt bikes to ATVs to street bikes.

"You like that one, kid?" the shopkeeper asked.

Adam turned and found himself staring at what appeared to be an ogre. "You mean this one?" he asked, gesturing at an EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition sport bike, colored black with hints of silver. "Yeah. I like it. Just show me the form and I'll sign it."

"You sure? It's kinda expensive."

"I'm sure."

"Your yen."

* * *

After signing the form and giving a down payment on the motorcycle, Adam rode away to Yokai Academy on his new black-and-silver EBR sport bike. Riding into the forest that surrounded Yokai Academy, the self-exiled Kamen Rider wondered just who he would meet and what he'd have to do to survive in a world full of monsters. A pink blur on a bicycle darted into his field of sight, interrupting his musings . . . and he couldn't stop in time. Not only did he hit her, he knocked himself over as well.

"Damn it," he groaned, throwing his helmet off and crawling on his arms over to her. "Are you all right?"

"I . . . I'm sorry . . ." she whispered. That was when Adam got a good look at her face.

_Cute . . ._ he thought, almost blushing as he caught her bright green eyes. Out loud, "No, I'm sorry. I should have watched where I was going." He looked at her, noticing that she wore an outfit similar to his but with the traditional green blazer and a short tartan skirt in place of his leather jacket and khaki pants. Then there was the rosary cross dangling from a leather choker wrapped around her neck. "Are you going to Yokai Academy, too?"

"Yes," she replied softly. "What's your name?"

"I'm Adam. Adam Taylor. You?"

"Moka. Moka Akashiya."

He smiled at her and helped her to her feet. "Nice to meet you, Miss Akashiya."

"No, just call me Moka," the girl replied. She looked at Adam's pants leg, which was stained with blood. "You smell . . . nice . . ."

"So do you," Adam answered, and it was no lie. He'd been close enough to smell her, and she had quite the fragrance.

"I'm sorry . . ." she murmured as she moved closer to him. "You see, I'm a . . . vampire."

And then she bit his neck, her fangs puncturing the skin and the vein beneath. Adam had expected it to be painful, but it felt more like a small pinch and then . . . a warm sensation passed over him, as though he were simply being kissed rather than having the blood drained from him.

"Moka . . ."

Was that his voice? He didn't quite recognize it; it sounded far too husky to be his.

Moka pulled away, and his wound immediately healed itself. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you first."

"It's all right," Adam replied. "You're a vampire. Vampires need blood to survive."

"I hope you don't hate me . . ."

"I don't. Being a vampire doesn't make you bad. Being a lot of things doesn't make you bad."

Moka squealed with joy and hugged Adam tightly to her bosom, a bosom that he'd noticed wasn't exactly small, not that he'd remark on it aloud. "That's great! Because you see, your blood tastes so nice, like a human's, but even better! I think I'm in love. . . ."

_Well, this is going to be interesting,_ Adam thought.

Once Moka managed to dislodge herself from Adam, they went their separate ways. Adam didn't think he was going to see her for a while, but he would be proven quite wrong about that.

* * *

After he entered the Academy halls, he exchanged his shoes for a pair of soft slippers so that he wouldn't scuff the floor. Once that was done, he searched for his classroom . . . and it turned out to be Class 3 for Year 1 students. He went inside and took the nearest available seat, noticing, much to his suspicion, that everyone inside looked perfectly human, unlike the people he'd seen outside.

The teacher standing at the front of the classroom was a honey-blonde woman in a short-sleeved white shirt left open over an orange sundress. Adam noticed that her hair was styled with two tufts that vaguely resembled cat ears, prompting a curious look from her.

"Hello, everybody!" the cat-haired woman announced energetically. "I'm your teacher Shizuka Nekonome, and this place, Yokai Academy . . . will teach you all how to blend in and peacefully coexist with humans! For that reason, you'll be taught the same things humans are taught in their schools, and you'll all have to maintain your human forms at all times!"

Just then, an imposing student with long brown hair, a rough demeanor, and piercings on one ear spoke up. "Why can't we just eat them?"

"Because they are more numerous than we are, Mr. Komiya," Nekonome-sensei replied. "And that sort of attitude has been the death of many yokai when encountering human assassins. What they lack in power, they make up for in creativity."

Saizo Komiya scoffed. "Whatever. I still think we ought to eat them. And use the cute girls as we please before we eat them, too."

Adam snarled quietly. This bastard was a complete and utter thug, no better than some of Xaviax's replacement Riders.

"Hell, I think I smell a human right in here . . ." Saizou remarked.

"That's impossible!" Nekonome denied. "Humans can't come to Yokai Academy; they'd be executed upon discovery!"

"Still smell a human . . ." Saizo sneered, looking right at Adam, who glared right back.

"Got a problem?"

Just before a fight could break out, a most welcome figure arrived: Moka Akashiya. "Sorry I'm late; I got lost looking for my classroom," she announced herself in a shy voice.

Immediately, the male students went into a small uproar.

"So cute!"

"So gorgeous!"

"So hot!"

"I'd go lesbian for her in a heartbeat!" Obviously enough, that was a besotted _girl,_ not a besotted boy.

"That can't be a disguise!"

"She's just too . . ."

"BEAUTIFUL!" the male students, sans Adam and Saizo, chorused.

Moka was instructed to take a seat, and she did . . . right next to Adam. "Adam!" she squealed, practically tackling the young man into an embrace.

"Moka . . ." he greeted with an amused smile.

Cries of "Aw, man!" and "No fair!" and "Why him?" rang out through the classroom, cries that only increased when Moka and Adam were seen walking together in the halls of Yokai Academy. A particular repeated cry was, "How does that gaijin punk get a girl like that?"

* * *

After the school day ended, Moka and Adam went to the vending machines to pick up something to drink. As they walked, they passed by the living quarters for the student body, which made Adam shiver internally at the sight of a virtual glut of grave markers. "That's a lot of dead people," he murmured.

"Isn't it lovely?" Moka asked.

"Sure," Adam replied automatically. Internally, he mused that it wasn't nearly as bad as Ventara had looked after Xaviax had gotten through with it.

They eventually made it to the vending machines, and while Adam was working the one closest to them, Saizo took the opportunity to accost Moka. "Hey," he said, "why don't you ditch the loser and come with me?"

"No, thank you," Moka replied. "I'm with Adam now."

"That weakling?" Saizo let out a derisive snort. "No way. You need someone stronger, someone like me."

Adam stalked over to Saizo and Moka. "She said no. Even you can't be so stupid that you don't know what that means."

Saizo immediately grabbed Adam by the front of his jacket and slammed him into a vending machine. "You little punk. Stay out of the way of us real yokai. A weakling like you doesn't deserve Moka."

"And you think you do?" Adam retorted. "You're a complete jackass. What girl would wanna go out with you?"

Saizo slammed him harder, while Moka shouted, "Leave him alone!"

Adam just smirked darkly at Saizo before thrusting his fingers right at the imposing boy's eyes. With that feint, he forced Saizo to drop him, allowing him to use a leg sweep to knock Saizo's legs out from under him. He stood over the momentarily fallen Saizo and stared grimly at him.

"Weak but skilled beats strong but dumb any day."

"You . . . think so . . . bitch?" Saizo snarled, just before grabbing Adam and throwing him into a vending machine headfirst. Adam managed to twist in a way that caused him to take the brunt of the impact with his shoulder rather than his head, but the whiplash still bounced his head against it. Moka rushed over to Adam's side, while Saizo walked away, convinced he had made his point.

* * *

Later that day, Adam stood next to his motorcycle on the cliff overlooking the strangely red ocean below. "Is this more trouble than it's worth?" he asked himself.

Just then, Moka walked up to him. "Are you going to leave?"

"Maybe," Adam replied.

"Where will you go?" she asked.

"Back to the human world. Maybe I'll find a decent school there."

Moka panicked. "You can't go!"

"Why not?"

"Because . . . you're . . . important to me. You're the first person . . . who's ever wanted to be my friend, and the first person who's let me suck his blood . . ." Her blush was almost luminescent. "A girl never forgets her first time."

Adam started to blush himself, the mention of "first time" making him think of something _else._ He sighed. "Maybe I'll stick around, but what's so wrong with human schools, anyway?"

"I went to a human school, and it was horrible! They didn't believe in vampires, and so they mocked me for saying I was one! I never had a friend there! I can't bear to see you go to such a place where you'll only be mistreated!"

Adam looked at Moka sadly. "What if I told you . . . that I was human?"

"You? Human . . . ? But that's impossible! How could you come here if you were human?"

"From Ventara, actually, but it's more like a parallel universe, kind of like this. Might have confused the barrier enough to let me through."

"I can't . . . even if your blood tastes nice . . . I can't be friends with a human."

"I understand," Adam whispered sadly. "I wasn't expecting to have friends, anyway. Someone like me . . . doesn't deserve friends. Goodbye, Moka." He got on his motorcycle and rode away, leaving Moka by herself.

* * *

Moka stared out at the ocean, thinking about Adam. He had been nothing but kind to her . . . even if he was human, or some strange variant of human called a Ventaran. She thought of his face when she'd made that statement to him, how _heartbroken_ he looked, even though his expression carried traces of resignation. She'd . . . she'd been the cruel one, not Adam.

With that thought fixed in her mind, she ran in the direction Adam had gone, hoping against hope that she could find him in time before he was gone from this world for good. As she ran, she encountered Saizo, who seemed to be malingering in the forests surrounding Yokai Academy.

"Hey, I see you changed your mind about me," he greeted.

"I'm looking for Adam," Moka answered.

"Why you want anything to do with that punk is beyond me," Saizo sneered. "Come on, why not go with a real yokai . . ." He began to transform, growing larger and rather spikier as he revealed his true form. ". . . like me!"

"Saizo!" Moka shouted. "We're not supposed to transform!"

"Sorry, this is just what happens when I get nervous around cute girls like you," Saizo growled menacingly. "Besides, it doesn't matter; we're not on school grounds anymore. Come on, Moka, show me what you really look like." He lunged at Moka with his abnormally long and thin tongue, wrapping it around her. Moka screamed in abject horror from the feeling of his saliva leaking into her clothes and skin.

* * *

As Adam rode, he heard a scream. _Moka?_

He pulled a U-turn immediately and began riding toward where he'd heard Moka's scream. Once he'd gotten close enough, he saw a transformed Saizo with Moka wrapped in his tongue. Gritting his teeth with rage underneath his helmet, he rode faster and removed a black card case with a black dragon crest in the center. When he thrust the case out in front of him, it generated a burst of electric black energy that formed a belt with an empty buckle that seemed to serve as a holder.

"Kamen Rider!" he called out as he approached them, sliding the case, his Advent Deck, into the Advent Belt. Immediately, a ring of black energy surrounded him and his motorcycle and it folded up into two rings that formed a sphere of black energy surrounding him and his motorcycle, transforming them both.

Adam was now in a suit of black armor with harder and somewhat metallic reinforcement over his chest, shoulders, forearms and hands, and his shins. A gunmetal gray helmet with a grilled black faceplate vaguely resembling a dragon's head viewed from above covered his head, while in the dark, bright red eyes peeked out from the grill slits of the faceplate. He also wore mismatched gauntlets, his right arm bearing silver plating over his forearm and hand while his left arm bore a black-and-silver dragon-headed gauntlet.

His motorcycle had changed, too, from a black-and-silver sport bike to a sleeker gold-accented pitch-black model with a grilled headlight and designed to vaguely resemble a dragon. Not only had it changed in appearance, it had accelerated and seemed to be developing an aura of flame the faster it approached Moka and Saizo, the latter of whom seemed to realize just what the transformed Adam was aiming to do.

At the last second, Adam jumped off his motorcycle and tackled Moka away from Saizo just as the bike crashed into the transformed brute. The tackle had come with such momentum that he'd knocked them both over the edge and down the slope. Adam immediately rolled over onto his back while still holding Moka so that he, being better-armored than she, would take the brunt of the damage.

"I'm sorry . . ." Moka whispered as she looked into his masked eyes. "I used to think, that maybe . . . just maybe . . . I could find that special human who'd be willing to accept me, who wouldn't be repelled by me just because I was a vampire. But now, even if I have, the differences are just too much!"

"No, they're not," Adam whispered, his voice somewhat distorted by the helmet he wore. "I'm nothing special at all, Moka. Just . . . just a bastard. But if you'll have me, I'll stay. I'll stay for you. I may be a human. You may be a vampire. But in our hearts, we're not so different, and I want to stay with you, for as long as you'll have me."

"Isn't that sweet?" Saizo shouted as he came after them. "But just because you have some kind of flashy armor doesn't mean you're gonna last long against me!"

Adam straightened up to his feet while helping Moka up. "Don't worry, Moka. He's not going to touch you."

He stalked toward Saizo and withdrew a card from the Advent Deck lodged within the buckle of his Advent Belt. He slid the card into the left-handed gauntlet that served as the scanner for his Advent Cards and a mechanical voice could be heard.

_SWORD VENT._

A black-hilted dao descended from the sky and Adam caught it, while Moka looked at him in amazement. "What . . . was that?" she wondered.

"If your puny little motorcycle couldn't finish me, what makes you think a flimsy toy like that's going to do it?" Saizo taunted his black-armored opponent.

Saizo got his answer when Adam seemed to blur out of sight . . . and then he saw a long gash in his chest from what could have only been a sword. He whirled around to find Kamen Rider Onyx, Adam, standing with his back to him. Onyx turned his head to look at Saizo, a taunting stare aimed at the brute through his grilled visor. "Do you need me to demonstrate again?" he asked.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

Saizo charged at Onyx, who jumped over Saizo's head and twisted around to kick him in the back. Saizo stumbled from the force of the kick, only to turn around with surprising speed and slug Onyx in his armored stomach. The punch came with enough force to still hurt despite the protection Onyx's armor afforded him and enough force to throw the Kamen Rider over by Moka.

"Don't worry, Moka," Onyx hissed. "I'm not out yet."

Moka reached for Onyx, as Onyx attempted to steady himself. As he finally summoned the strength to stand, he heard something snap off, prompting him to look at his free hand . . . and see a rosary cross in it.

"Sorry about that," Onyx said. Beside him, Moka gasped at the removal of her rosary . . . and from the power that was welling up inside her, which became visible as a dark pink aura.

"What the hell is this?" Saizo questioned frantically.

When the dark pink glow faded from Moka, she looked absolutely different from before. Her pink hair had turned white, her wide green eyes had narrowed and turned red with slits for pupils, her skin had turned paler, and she had gotten considerably curvier.

"This power . . ." Saizo uttered. "Unbelievable! You're an S-class yokai! A super-vampire!"

_Super . . . vampire?_ Onyx thought. He looked at the "new" Moka, finding her to be rather attractive, in an intimidating ice queen kind of way. Even so, this ice queen was still Moka . . . and he would treat her as such.

"So you're the one who awakened me from my slumber," the new Moka remarked in a coldly measured tone. She turned to Saizo and smirked at him. "Well? Weren't you the one dying to embrace me? Come on, then. Give me a hug."

"A vampire! My reputation will spread far and wide after everyone finds out I beat you!"

Saizo charged Moka with what had to amount to an insane level of overconfidence. Moka merely raised her arm and blocked his fist with her much smaller hand, looking more bored than anything else. Beneath his helmet, Onyx gaped at her in surprise. _How powerful is she?_

"Is this all you have?" she asked. "How pathetic."

Just then, Onyx withdrew a card from his Advent Deck bearing the symbol of his Advent Beast. He slid it into the Drag Visor, his card scanner, and the mechanical voice spoke again.

_FINAL VENT._

"You intend to finish him off?" Moka asked Onyx. "Very well. He's too pathetic to waste more time on, anyway."

Onyx's Advent Beast, a black dragon, emerged circling him as he charged up for his final attack. He levitated into the air, carried by the dark aura the black dragon was emanating and throwing himself into a flying side kick boosted by the dragon's black flames. At the same time, Moka had leapt into the air for an acrobatic axe kick.

Saizo had just enough time to think to himself, "Oh, shi –" before the two flying kicks impacted against his chest, knocking him off the slope and into a sizable crater.

"Learn your place," Moka spat.

Onyx looked at the rosary cross still in his hand. "I suppose you want this back."

"Yes," Moka confirmed. "I can't be out all the time."

"Thanks for backing me up," Onyx said.

"I was merely looking out for my favorite snack," Moka retorted. "I'm not like the sentimental Moka you've taken such a shine to." She took back the rosary cross from Onyx and began affixing it to her choker. "You'd better take good care of her . . . or I won't be happy."

Once the rosary cross was safely affixed to her choker, Moka began to change back to what Onyx had thought of as her "normal" self. Her hair brightened from white to pink, her eyes changed back to green from red, and her skin took on some color again. As she changed back, so did Onyx, a vertical ring forming around him that pulled apart, taking his armor with it and revealing Adam.

Moka collapsed into Adam's arms and Adam sat down against a tree with her still lying partly on him. "I promise, Moka . . . I'm staying."

* * *

The next morning, news of Saizo's defeat had spread throughout the entire school. According to one tale of how he'd been defeated, Adam had transformed into some kind of black dragon and scorched Saizo with his unholy flames. According to another version, Adam had turned into a "black swordsman" and "cut Saizo up." Pretty much no version of the story had mentioned Moka's – or specifically, her inner self's – role in defeating Saizo.

At the very least, Adam's transformation into Kamen Rider Onyx had forestalled some of the questions about his "monster identity." That was a good thing, he mused to himself as he walked toward Yokai Academy for another day of classes. Just then, his musings were interrupted by Moka nearly knocking him over with her half-tackle, half-hug.

"Hi, Moka," Adam greeted.

"Adam . . . it doesn't matter to me what you are," Moka whispered. "You're my first real friend, and I don't want to lose you."

"You're my first friend in a long time, Moka," Adam admitted. "I don't want to lose you, either."

"So we'll stay together . . . won't we, Adam?"

"We will, Moka."

Almost like in a romantic fantasy, Adam and Moka stared soulfully into each other's eyes, thinking of nothing except each other. Moka leaned closer to him, and Adam, thinking she was going to kiss him, leaned closer to her. As it turned out, she did kiss him . . . just not on the lips.

Her lips found their way to his neck, accompanying a bite with her fangs to access his blood. Adam winced in slight pain, only to shortly be overcome with a warm, pleasant sensation. "Aaaa . . . Moka . . ."

Moka pulled back. "Sorry . . . I can't help myself when I'm near you. I think your blood just might be addictive!"

"It's fine, Moka," Adam said, feeling his wound heal.

_This is certainly going to be an interesting experience. Sure, the school's for scary monsters trying to blend in with humans, even if some don't really want to . . . but Moka's nice enough. It shouldn't be that bad._

Little did Kamen Rider Onyx know that it could and would get "that bad," and also . . . "that good." However, that tale would have to wait another day, as Adam and Moka walked into Yokai Academy arm in arm to begin another school day.

Next: Succubus and Onyx.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, the first chapter of my Kamen Rider Dragon Knight/Rosario + Vampire crossover. It'll become clear in due time just how Onyx found out about Yokai Academy, why he wasn't vented by Kamen Riders Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, and Siren for his betrayal, and just why he betrayed the Riders in the first place. Of course, given that the answers I'll be putting forth will most likely not be canon, this story is an A/U, and I hope an interesting enough A/U for you all to enjoy it.


	2. Succubus and Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 2: "Succubus and Onyx"

Disclaimer: Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and Viz Entertainment. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang and Adness Entertainment. I make no monetary or other material profit from this story whatsoever.

Author's note: I'm glad the response to the first chapter of this story has been so positive so far. The questions are quite intriguing as well, and I promise you, at least one of them will be answered. In the meantime, it's time for the debut of Kurumu Kurono, the sexiest succubus since Morrigan of Darkstalkers! Let's ride!

* * *

It had been two days since the night Adam had revealed his Kamen Rider powers to Moka in defending her from Saizo's advances. While she sincerely appreciated him risking his life for her, she had questions for him, too, but she wasn't sure she should ask. In the end, her curiosity had overwhelmed her shyness.

As soon as she and Adam were alone, Moka remarked, "You're a strange guy, Adam Taylor."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"You're able to fight Saizo when you're both in human form, and even when you're both transformed . . . you can still fight him. How did you do it?"

Adam pulled his Advent Deck out of his jacket pocket and showed it to her. "This. This is something all Kamen Riders possess. It allows us to call upon special armors and abilities that empower us to fight our enemies, which would normally be physically superior to us, on a somewhat more even playing field."

"What about that black dragon?" Moka inquired.

"Dragblacker is my Advent Beast and partner," Adam replied. "We forged a contract, and through the contract, Dragblacker shares his power with me."

"What are Kamen Riders?"

"Defenders of Ventara, a world that can only be accessed through mirrors and then only by those holding Advent Decks."

"So you're like some kind of manga superhero."

Adam shook his head sadly. "I'm not that great."

"You are to me," Moka whispered, leaning closer to him. Adam blushed as he looked into her eyes, her green eyes staring back into his blue. _Adam . . ._

_Moka . . ._

_Adam . . ._

_Moka . . ._

_Adam . . ._

She bit him again. This time, the pain was there and gone in almost an instant, immediately replaced by warmth surging through his veins even as their contents flowed into Moka's mouth. Against his will, Adam let out a guttural groan of pleasure, one that Moka mistook for a groan of pain.

She pulled away from him. "Sorry . . . but you really are great to me." She brightened up. "You let me suck your blood! And you're like my knight in shining black armor!"

"Knight . . ." Adam murmured, thinking of the days when he'd been called Kamen Rider Dragon Knight . . . before his worst sin against Ventara.

* * *

By the time he snapped out of it, Moka was already on her way to class, and Adam was following her somewhat slowly. _Is that all I am to her? Her personal blood bank?_

As he walked, he heard some whimpering mewls. "Someone . . . help me . . ."

Unable to resist the call of someone in need, Adam sprang into action. He soon found a girl with blue hair tied back by a frilly purple tiara with a gold star in it lying helplessly on the ground, garbed in a yellow sweater vest over a white blouse and the tartan miniskirt that marked her as a student of Yokai Academy. Adam immediately helped her into a more upright position, and noticed that she had _really pretty_ violet eyes.

"Are you . . . ?" he asked.

"I . . . forgive me, I've been weak since childhood . . . and I have these spasms," the girl whispered. "And this feeling of fullness . . . in my chest, like it's going to burst . . ."

On that last sentence, Adam noticed that the girl, for someone so small, had amazingly large breasts, which were now rubbing against his chest. "Ohhh . . . that's so much better . . ." she purred.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked, trying and failing to suppress his incipient arousal.

"I'm sorry, but I . . . I need this . . ." the girl replied. "It keeps the fullness in."

The worrying thing was that her bust bounced a lot as she rubbed it against his chest, and he was having a harder and harder time hiding his body's response to it. Then he looked into her eyes . . . and felt a mental fog come over him.

"Please . . . hold me."

Against his will, his body wrapped his arms around the girl's small waist and pulled her closer to him. He had enough will left, though, to keep his hands strictly at her waist, even while her closeness made him want to respond in more overt ways.

Unbeknownst to Adam, the blue-haired girl smirked in satisfaction. He was under her spell completely . . . but why wasn't he making any moves? He was just holding her tightly, and his hands weren't going lower than her waist. She knew he wasn't gay, because she could feel his body's response to her advances . . . but he was just holding her, as though he . . .

Moka had noticed that Adam wasn't following her anymore and went to look for him. When she did, she found him holding a strange blue-haired girl in his arms, like a lover would. . . . _Who is she to him?_ The rosette beauty wondered. Before she could ruminate further on that, she remembered that she had classes to attend. "Adam!"

Adam heard her call and snapped out of his trance, gently pulling out of the blue-haired girl's arms. "Moka!" he called out as he jogged toward her. The blue-haired girl followed him, tugging him by the arm. When he turned to look at her, he felt the mental fog come over him again.

"Come on, Adam . . ." she whispered. "Wouldn't you like to get to know me better?"

"Yes," Adam responded before he was really aware of what he was doing. "Yes, I would."

Moka looked on sadly as Adam allowed himself to be escorted into the school building by the strange blue-haired girl, who was pressing his arm firmly against her more-than-generous bosom. This caused Moka to repeat her earlier question to herself. _Who is she to him?_

* * *

Class went on like usual, except Adam had once again snapped out of his momentary trance and was now filled with regret, looking forlornly at Moka from time to time. _I have to apologize to her,_ he thought. _Sure, this new girl's pretty, but . . . Moka's more important to me._

After class was over, Moka went out into the halls, where she spotted the blue-haired girl on the balcony above her . . . and the girl was jumping off to confront her. As she fluttered down to Moka's level, the male students in the hall were remarking at the color of her panties, which she'd inadvertently flashed (or was it?). When she landed, the boys started remarking at her petite stature . . . with the exception of what Moka noticed were very large breasts.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And what were you doing with Adam?"

"Oh, your little suck toy?" the girl taunted. "He's going to be mine soon. All of these boys here will be mine, for it's my plan, the Yokai Academy Harem Transformation Plan!" As she declared the name of her plan, she waved her hips in an exaggerated yet sexy way, before her expression hardened. "And you, Moka Akashiya . . . are in the way of that plan! The boys are falling head over heels for you instead of me!"

"I . . . I didn't mean for that to happen . . ." Moka whispered bashfully.

"No matter . . ." the girl purred maliciously. "I, Kurumu Kurono, will defeat you, and I will do so using your pretty little suck toy!"

"Adam's not a toy!" Moka snapped.

Just then, Adam had come out of the classroom, wondering what all the commotion was about. He saw the standoff between Moka and Kurumu and started walking toward them, hoping he could defuse the whole thing before it got out of hand. "Moka, I . . ." he started to say, but was cut off by Kurumu latching on to him.

"Adam!" she squealed in a delighted voice.

"Um, I . . . I have to talk to Moka," Adam answered.

"No, you don't," Kurumu contested. "She just wants you for your blood!"

"No, that's not . . ." Adam started to say, but was cut off by a mental voice that sounded strangely like Xaviax.

_Come on, boy. What do you really know about this girl? She's a vampire, and she likes your blood. That's all you know. Is it so wise to trust her?_

_Shut up,_ Adam snarled quietly. _I listened to you once, and look where that got me!_

"That's not true!" Moka insisted.

"Really? Why else would you keep him around?" Kurumu taunted. "Although he is really kinda cute, and has such a sweet smell . . . like a human, only better. Much better."

"Kurumu . . ." Adam started to say, only to look into her eyes and feel the mental fog come over him once more. "Yes, you're right. Of course you're right. You're right about it all. Why didn't I see it before?"

"Adam, she's a succubus! She'll devour your soul!" Moka warned.

"Like you want to devour my blood?" Adam murmured tonelessly.

Her heart shattered by what Adam had just said to her, Moka ran down the halls crying. Adam blinked, back to his senses . . . and clenching his fists in self-loathing rage. He'd done it again, betrayed someone else who'd taken him into their trust. _Damn it all, what is this power she holds over me?_

* * *

Moka sat on an outdoor bench, weeping softly. _"Hey . . ."_ a voice that sounded like hers, only colder, growled. _"This is no time to be wallowing in self-pity. Adam's life is in danger."_

"Who . . . who are you?"

"_You. The you that comes out when your power is unsealed. I am merely using the rosary as a bridge between us."_

"How . . . how can I save him if he doesn't even recognize that he's in trouble?"

"_Fool. Do you think he'd say those things to you of his own free will? It's the succubus's chie__f ability, the power to mentally ensnare any man who stares into her eyes."_

"Then Adam's under a spell?"

"_Yes. And if you don't find him and that succubus in time, she's going to bind him to her permanently."_

Moka stood up and wiped away her tears. She had no time to waste, not if she was going to save Adam!

* * *

Speaking of the Kamen Rider, he was sitting on Kurumu's bed glowering at his feet while Kurumu was rejoicing at her "victory" over Moka. "Awww, what's the matter, my knight in shining armor?" Kurumu asked, draping herself over him.

"I have to apologize to Moka," Adam replied. "It's not right, what I did to her . . . or what you made me do to her."

"What are you talking about?" Kurumu asked innocently.

Adam snarled. "Don't play innocent with me. I don't know how you did it, but you usurped my mind, my will . . . and I am not going to let that pass."

Kurumu looked into Adam's eyes innocently, while casting her spell on him once more. Adam blinked as he tried to fight it off, but Kurumu embraced him, pushing his head against her bountiful bosom. The softness of her chest started to lull Adam into a daze, opening him to her control.

She gently laid him down on the bed, straddling his waist while her breasts hung in his face. "I've never done this before . . ."

Surprisingly, Adam could believe that, but he wasn't going to let himself be her first. He was saving that for Moka. _Wait, what the hell?_ With a supreme act of will, he forced himself upright, even as Kurumu attempted to push him down again.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not doing this with you," Adam whispered. "I can't . . . I won't betray Moka like that."

Kurumu's eyes flashed with rage. "You . . . you have no idea . . . what I put myself through for you! How can that pink-haired bitch mean so much to you? How can she be more appealing than me?"

"Because she is."

That wasn't the right moment to taunt a heartbroken succubus, as Adam found out when bat-like black wings ripped out of Kurumu's back, a pointed black tail slipped out from beneath her skirt, and her nails grew incredibly long. Hell, they were almost as long as the claws of that cyborg woman who was always fighting that short, hairy guy with the claws embedded in his arms in those comics Kit liked so much.

"Everything Moka loves . . . including you . . . I will destroy!" Kurumu vowed.

Adam's response was to kick her in the stomach, throwing her off balance just enough for him to throw himself off the bed, take out his Advent Deck, and thrust it against the mirror nearby. A burst of black energy from the Advent Deck formed the Advent Belt, and just as Adam was about to lock the deck into the empty buckle, Kurumu flew to attack. Fortunately for him, Moka burst in on them.

"Get away from him!" she shouted, pushing Kurumu with enough force to knock her out the window.

"Moka!" Adam called. He moved to her side. "How did you know?"

"My inner self helped me . . ." Moka admitted.

"Anyway, I'm happy you're here," Adam said. "And I'm sorry . . . about those things I said to you."

Just then, Kurumu flew back in. "You're pretty strong when you've got the element of surprise on your side. Let's see how you do in a real fight!"

Adam glared at Kurumu as he stood protectively over Moka. "You'll be fighting _me,_ Kurumu. Kamen Rider!" He slid his Advent Deck into the Advent Belt around his waist and once secured, it whirred inside the buckle, generating a waist-high ring of black energy accompanied by an energy sphere that repelled Kurumu when she flew to attack Moka. Inside the sphere, twin rings folded over Adam, forming the familiar black suit of Kamen Rider Onyx. Once fully armored, Adam ran to the edge of the window and jumped out, sliding an Advent Card into the card scanner mounted on his left forearm.

_GUARD VENT._

By the time he landed, he had a two-part shield shaped like Dragblacker's underside in his hands. Kurumu had recovered from Adam's use of his transformation as a defense and now hovered in the air ready to attack. "We succubae have a duty!" she declared. "We're dying out, and we need to find our destined mates so we can restore our numbers! Surely, in a school like this, someone would be monster enough to father my offspring!"

"Am I supposed to care?" Onyx taunted, just as Moka had arrived.

Kurumu flew at Onyx for an attack, one that Onyx tackled Moka out of the way of . . . only to see a multitude of trees collapse from clean cuts through their trunks. "This power . . ." Onyx murmured. Well, this was going to be tougher than he thought.

"You're supposed to be a vampire, right?" Kurumu interrogated Moka. "Well, is it true, or is it just something you made up to attract guys? What the hell is so special about you, anyway?"

Moka stared up at Kurumu. "Nothing . . . but Adam is special to me, and I won't let you hurt him!"

"How sweet," Kurumu purred. "But you're a fool."

Kurumu flew in for another attack, and this time Onyx raised his shield to block it. The attack still came with enough force to push him back, and as he twisted around, he slotted another Advent Card into the scanner on his left arm.

_SWORD VENT._

Drawing the familiar Black Drag Saber, Onyx slashed at an attacking Kurumu, managing to slice off the claws of her outstretched hand if nothing else. "You . . . you . . . _I'll kill you!_" Kurumu yelled, renewing her attack on the Kamen Rider, who flipped over Kurumu to ricochet off a tree and kick her from a different angle. The kick connected halfway, but Kurumu had slashed his leg with the uninjured claws on her other hand, robbing it of its full force.

"Adam!" Moka called out, rushing to him.

"I can still . . . do this . . ." Onyx growled, holding onto Moka to steady himself. In the process, he accidentally pulled off her rosary, once again unleashing her darker, "truer" self.

The "Inner" Moka glared coldly at Kurumu, who was trembling in fear from feeling the sheer power emanating from her. "So you're the one who tried to take my favorite snack away from me. And you hurt him, too."

"Is this . . . what a vampire's power is like?" Kurumu wondered in abject terror. Steeling herself, she shouted, "You two just don't get it! I have a duty to my people!"

"And this duty involves putting everyone in school under your spell?" Inner Moka mocked.

"I don't care what you think!" Kurumu yelled, flying at Inner Moka, only for Inner Moka to easily dodge her attack and grab her by the tail.

"So slow," the silver-haired vampire taunted. With a brutal yank, she used the tail as leverage to throw Kurumu into a tree. "Recognize the difference in power between me and you. A little girl like you could never fight me."

As she stalked toward Kurumu, ready to finish her off, Onyx blocked her. "Leave her to me," he whispered.

"Very well," Inner Moka assented. "You are the one she attempted to kill, after all. It's only fair that you be the one to strike the killing blow."

Onyx withdrew a card from his Advent Deck and slid it into the card scanner.

_FINAL VENT._

"You should keep your eyes open for this, little girl," Inner Moka taunted. "Those not ready to face death should never bare their fangs to fight."

As she spoke, Onyx had levitated into the air, his dragon's aura trapping Kurumu as he prepared to strike the killing blow. He shifted into a flying side kick boosted by the flames of the darkness dragon that served as his partner beast. Instead of hitting Kurumu, though, it knocked down the tree that she'd been thrown against, both severed ends smoldering with black embers.

"It's pointless to kill you," Onyx whispered as he straightened up.

"What are you talking about, Kamen Rider?" Inner Moka asked. "She tricked you, seduced you, and attempted to kill you when you wouldn't let her have her way."

"Yes, she did do all those things," the dragon Rider admitted. "But it's still pointless to kill her." He started walking toward Inner Moka and Kurumu, willing his armor to disengage as he did. Said armor pulled itself apart in the form of a pair of briefly seen mirror images that faded away to reveal Adam, who kneeled before Kurumu.

"I don't think you're a bad person. No. There's a difference between someone who lashes out because they want to hurt people, and someone who lashes out because they're lonely." To the surprise of both Inner Moka and Kurumu, Adam hugged Kurumu.

"You're . . . you're sparing me . . . ?"

"I am . . . and so are you, Moka. I'm not letting you kill her."

"Sentimental fool," Inner Moka murmured, annoyance in her tone as Kurumu unabashedly wept on Adam's shoulder. Nevertheless, she would respect the darkly clad knight's decision on this . . . for now.

* * *

The next morning, Adam met up with Moka for school. As they were about to walk into the building, they received a surprise. "Adam!" a familiar feminine voice squealed joyfully.

Adam and Moka turned to see Kurumu running after them. "Kurumu!" Adam called out, trying not to let on just how shocked he was by seeing her again so soon.

"I've decided something!" Kurumu exclaimed.

"What?" Adam asked.

"I'm in love with you, my knight in black armor!" Kurumu declared. "You showed me mercy, compassion, love! And I've decided that you're going to be my destined one!"

Adam kept his face as impassive as possible, but groaned internally. He was perfectly happy with just Moka. He didn't exactly need_ two_ girlfriends. Unaware of Adam's internal dilemma, Kurumu held up a bag full of sugar, mint, and chocolate chip cookies. "Would you like to taste some of my cookies?" she asked excitedly. "I baked them just for you!"

Adam took the bag. "Sure, thanks." He looked at Moka and smiled at her. "Would you like to share them with me?"

"I said they were for _you!_" Kurumu insisted.

"Yeah, and since they're mine now, I can share them if I want," Adam rejoined, "and that reminds me. Kurumu, would you like some of the cookies, too? After all, the chef deserves to taste the fruits of her labor just as much as anyone."

"Sure!" Kurumu exclaimed, beaming at Adam's implied compliment. Then she caught Moka glaring at her out of the corner of her eye and glared back at the pink-haired vampire. As luck would have it, Adam completely did not miss the stare-down between the vampire and the succubus that were now competing for his heart.

_This is going to be such a pain . . ._ he thought.

Next: School Clubbing and Onyx

* * *

End Notes: There you have it. The second chapter of Onyx and Vampire is finished, and the happy relationship between Adam and Moka has become a love triangle! Of course, things are only going to get more complicated, what with clubs and other suitors for both Adam and Moka, plus Adam's own troubled past as the betrayer of Ventara when it comes back to interfere with his present happiness with Moka! To see how everything will turn out, stick around for the next chapter!


	3. School Clubbing and Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 3: "School Clubbing and Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is the property of Adness Entertainment and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikeda. I make no money or other material profit from this story whatsoever.

Author's note: Sorry this took me so long. I had other stories to work on as well, as well as some refreshers to take on the storyline of Rosario + Vampire. I will be following the manga version, for the most part, but I can slip in elements from the anime. In the meantime, this chapter will be dealing with clubs . . . and the evolving relationship of Adam, Moka, and Kurumu. Enjoy.

* * *

_Voice Log, Kamen Rider Onyx: It's been one month since I started attending Yokai Academy. It's been a wild ride, to say the least. With the exception of me . . . or maybe not . . . all the students and teachers are monsters of one kind or another. While some of the students happen to be unhinged, to put it politely, there are some others that are really nice._

_Like Moka Akashiya. She's a vampire who keeps most of her power sealed via a rosary necklace, and I'm the only one who can remove it. When that happens, she gets a lot stronger . . . and a lot scarier, but that's actually kind of a turn-on. We're kind of dating. Are we? This is strange. __It's been a while since I dated, especially after what I did . . ._

_Then there's Kurumu Kurono. She's a succubus. Her race is dying out, so they have to replenish their numbers. I was supposed to help her with that, not exactly with my permission and full cooperation; that was gonna be done for me with charm spells, but I said no, we got into a fight, and later I had to stop Moka from killing her. She's nice, though . . . even if she's overly fond of burying my face in between her breasts as her way of saying hi._

_I hate to say it, but I . . . kinda like it when she does that. If I were dating her, I wouldn't mind, but I'm with Moka, so that's really past any kind of reasonable boundaries. I'm no cheater._

_Hmm. Time for class. Voice Log, Kamen Rider Onyx, over._

* * *

In class, Adam watched and listened as Miss Nekonome began to explain animatedly about school clubs. "Clubs are an important part of school life for human teenagers! To prepare you for the human world, we'll be putting together our own clubs, which you'll get to see after classes are over! These clubs will also help you all maintain your human forms more easily!"

"Um, sensei?" one student asked.

"What is it?" Miss Nekonome asked.

"Where'd you learn to maintain your human form?" the student asked, pointing out the tail poking out of the teacher's skirt.

"Uhhhh . . ." Miss Nekonome seemed to ponder that for a moment, and then settled for scratching the overly observant student's face repeatedly.

Adam shivered. He was not looking forward to the day he got on Miss Nekonome's bad side. Not by any means at all. Of course, now that she was back to her usual cheerful and energetic demeanor, Miss Nekonome had concluded her lecture on school clubs with, "And remember, you can check out the Newspaper Club, too!"

_Shameless plug,_ Adam remarked silently. He then began thinking about what sort of club he could join. Maybe there'd be a Motorcycle Club somewhere in there.

* * *

After school, Adam and Moka began touring school clubs. The first to actually approach them was the Photography Club. "Moka . . . would you like to take pictures with us?" the leader asked. "Maybe do some nude photography?"

Moka blushed and stammered, while Adam grabbed his camera and leaned in close to whisper, "Take your camera and _shove it up your ass!_"

Having fled from the Photography Club, they were soon accosted by the Chemistry Club. "Moka . . . let's make sweet love potions together!"

Moka again blushed and stammered, while Adam merely glared at the head of the Chemistry Club and suggested, "_You _drink it."

The Chemistry Club President shuddered. "You can't be . . ."

"You want us to try it, you're gonna have to prove it's not dangerous," Adam answered evenly. "I don't see any way to prove it other than drinking it yourself." He paused. "No, give it here. I'll drink it. If I keel over and die, we'll know it's bad."

"O . . . ok . . ." the Chemistry Club head stammered as he gave Adam the potion. Adam drank the entire thing in one gulp and smiled at him.

"Oh, that was just for show?" Adam wondered. "I don't really feel anything." He shook his head in annoyance and walked away with Moka.

"I can't believe you did that!" Moka uttered.

"Had to," Adam replied laconically. "It actually didn't taste that bad." He was lying like hell, but part of being a Kamen Rider was mental as well as physical toughness. If necessary, one had to be able to survive off just about anything edible, no matter how distasteful it was to one's palate. That part, Adam had learned quite well.

That wasn't the end of it. The Mummy Club and the Acupuncture Club came after them, too. This led Adam to the conclusion that everyone here, with the possible inclusion of himself, was thoroughly insane and ought to be committed as soon as possible.

_Where are we going to find a normal club?_ Adam thought.

It was at that moment that a group of girls in swimsuits introduced themselves. "We're the Swim Club. And I'm the President of the Swim Club, Tamao Ichinose." The girl in the center, a pretty girl with long, wavy aquamarine hair who was obviously Tamao Ichinose, smiled at Adam and Moka. "Would you like to join us?"

"No . . . I'm . . . we're . . ." Adam started to say.

"Are you looking for another club?" Tamao asked kindly. "Because some clubs advertise near our pool. You might find what you're looking for if you come with us."

"Fine," Adam conceded. "But I'm not swimming."

"What about you?" Tamao asked Moka.

"I'm not swimming, either," Moka replied.

* * *

Thus, Adam and Moka hung out at the pool, watching the Swim Club cavort in said pool with hormone-driven boys wanting to get close to pretty girls in swimsuits. "One thing that's not different from what I know," Adam muttered to himself. He looked over the fence for what had to be the eighth time. "Where are these other clubs she was talking about?"

"Adam . . . I . . . I don't like it here," Moka whispered.

"Are you scared of the water?" Adam asked.

Moka nodded. "Yes."

"It's all right. We don't have to stay." He stood up with Moka, and just as they were about to leave, Tamao and several other Swim Club girls noticed and intercepted them.

"Where are you going?" Tamao asked.

"We're not going to find what we're looking for here," Adam replied. "We'd like to leave."

"But you can't leave yet!" Tamao purred.

The next thing Adam knew, he was trapped under a pile of amorous swimsuit-clad girls that were ripping his clothes off him and forcing him into a pair of swimming trunks. "Damn it! Let go!" _Damn it all, there aren't any reflections for me to escape through!_

Just then, he heard Moka cry out. "Moka!" he shouted, starting to fight his way out of the pile. Unfortunately, he found himself being thrown into the deep end of the pool, much to his consternation. When he sprang out, he yelled again. "Moka!"

He looked around for her and found her in pained spasms. "What's going on?" He glared at Tamao and the other Swim Club girls. "What happened to Moka?"

"Poor dear must be really afraid of the water," Tamao answered, but she didn't sound nearly as concerned as she could or should be.

"This . . . this is too much," Adam said. "I'm out of here." He started to swim to the ladder so he could climb out, but Tamao pulled him back in.

"Come on, Adam . . . swim with me . . ." Tamao purred, her voice almost hypnotic.

_I've been mind-screwed by better,_ Adam thought, but despite his mental resistance to her seduction, his body was inevitably more pliable to Tamao's efforts.

"Look, I'm trying to see if Moka's all right," he said, even as Tamao kept pulling him in and pressing her body against his to "motivate" him.

"Are you just going to flirt with girls all day?" Moka snapped, finally unable to bear the frustration anymore. "Is that what you really came here for?"

"No, it's not!" Adam answered. "I've been trying to get out of this mess so I can be with you!"

Just then, Tamao interrupted. "Little girls playing childish games," she purred mockingly. "Between a man and a woman, there is only one rule: Take or be taken. Isn't that right, Adam?"

"Leave him alone!" Moka exclaimed, running up to the side of the pool. Tamao took the opportunity to flick some water at Moka, only for Adam to block the water flicked at her. Unfortunately, his own rapid motion had resulted in the water parted by his body splashing Moka.

"MOKA!" Adam cried out, as he saw her collapse in agonized spasms. "I'm . . . I'm so . . . I'm sorry . . ."

* * *

Moka fled the pool immediately, retreating to a hidden space on campus. _"Fool,"_ her inner self chided her. _"What made you think you could go near a body of water? That irritant of a Kamen Rider?"_

"I just . . . I just wanted . . . to be with him . . ." Moka murmured.

"_You know what water does to our body!"_

"Our body . . . this body . . . if only . . ." Moka wept silently. "If only I could . . . be normal . . ."

* * *

Elsewhere on campus, Kurumu was hearing the excited murmurs of male students who'd heard that Moka had joined the Swim Club. Kurumu paused to think about this development. _She wouldn't go without Adam. But why would she go? She's a vampire, and vampires and water don't mix . . ._ She smirked for a moment. _Well, Moka, you're not the only one who can wear a cute swimsuit for Adam._

* * *

Back at the pool, Adam was not enjoying himself at all. He hadn't been enjoying himself to begin with, but now he was enjoying himself even less. He'd hurt Moka . . . again . . . _DAMN IT!_ Adam screamed internally. _AM I GOING TO HURT EVERYONE I LOVE?_

Just as Tamao practically slithered over to him, Adam pulled away from her. "No. Not this time. This isn't worth it. Without Moka, nothing's worth it."

"But you can't leave now . . . the real fun is about to begin," Tamao purred.

"There _is_ no fun for me here," Adam answered. Then he got a good look at what was going on around him, namely the girls swimming up to the boys and _biting them!_ Almost immediately after the boys were bitten, they began to age and wither at unnatural speed. "What are you doing?"

Just then, Tamao swam up to Adam again, and he could see that her legs had been replaced with a thick fish tail and her ears had changed shape to resemble fins. When she smiled at him, her mouth was full of terrifyingly sharp teeth, sort of like that one female fighter from that ultraviolent fighting game back on Earth. "I've been drawn to you, Adam Taylor, ever since the opening ceremony," Tamao whispered seductively. "Because you smell so good . . . like a human, only _better!_"

Adam swore quietly to himself; his Advent Deck was in the very clothes that had been stripped from him by the Swim Club in preparation for this endgame. He'd just have to fight them on his own until he could get at the card deck, and fight them he did. Managing to fend them off for a while, he got enough distance between himself and them to spring out of the pool and grab his deck out of his pile of clothes.

It was at that moment that Moka and Kurumu happened to arrive. Moka was still in her uniform, while Kurumu was garbed in a yellow-orange bikini, the bottoms of which were forming an uncomfortable yet tantalizing wedgie. "What are they?" Moka asked, horrified at the sight before her.

"Mermaids!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Unlike what those cutesy human movies will tell you, they really lure men to their doom!"

"Lure men to their doom?" Adam echoed. "Like those poor bastards." He thrust his Advent Deck out at the pool, and when it caught the reflection on the pool's surface, a burst of black energy traveled down his arm and to his waist to form the belt holder. "Kamen Rider." He slid the deck into the buckle of his Advent Belt, initiating the change into Kamen Rider Onyx. Tamao and the other mermaids came at him, but the force of his change repelled them, forcing them to go after Moka instead.

"You're the one who took our prey from us . . ." Tamao snarled. "So you will become our prey."

Before Onyx could do anything, the mermaids pulled Moka into the pool, intending to kill her there. "NO!" Onyx screamed, diving into the pool and fighting the mermaids with a merciless ferocity. Once they were momentarily stunned, Onyx dived down after Moka, hoping to reach her before she drowned.

He did. "Moka . . . I'm so sorry . . . so sorry . . ." He reached for her rosary and pulled it off her neck.

The power of Moka's own transformation forced Kamen Rider Onyx out of the water, only for him to twist and flip in midair to regain his balance. At that very same moment, Inner Moka burst out of the pool herself, free and ready to kick some serious ass, aiming a cold stare at Kamen Rider Onyx. "Hello, Kamen Rider." Her voice was just as frosty as her glare when she'd spoken to him.

The mermaids began to swarm Inner Moka and Onyx, trying to splash her so as to weaken her, but Onyx drew his Black Drag Saber and blocked the water swipes with it. "This is getting us nowhere," Onyx snarled. "Time to finish this."

_ATTACK VENT._

He jumped out of the water with Inner Moka as Dragblacker came to their aid. Onyx was about to initiate his Final Vent and finish the fight when Tamao leaped after them. "Taking to the air won't save you from us!" she boasted.

"And the air isn't your territory, is it, little fish girl?" Inner Moka taunted, just before kicking Tamao into the air. "Learn your place!"

_FINAL VENT._

Just as Tamao was coming down to attack Inner Moka again, a flying Kurumu kicked her right in Kamen Rider Onyx's direction. "Speaking of your place . . ." the black dragon Rider snarled, allowing himself to be engulfed in Dragblacker's flames as he kicked Tamao down into the pool. The Dark Dragon Rider Kick didn't stop once he touched the pool; no, the black flames were so powerful that they evaporated the pool water completely, leaving the mermaids high and dry.

Onyx stepped out of the destroyed pool, while Kurumu looked at him stunned at the power he had used to defeat Tamao. He looked at Moka as he disengaged the Kamen Rider armor, revealing seemingly ordinary Adam Taylor. "Moka, I . . ."

He was cut off when she slapped him. "The outer Moka . . . was crying . . . because of you," she hissed. "She was suffering inside because of your selfishness." She snatched the rosary necklace from Adam. "Don't come near me, Kamen Rider." She walked away, leaving behind a dejected Adam and a stunned Kurumu.

"I'm such an idiot . . ." he muttered.

* * *

The next day, Adam didn't see Moka in class. Was she still angry at him? Did she hate him now? He lowered his head onto his desk, unable to pay attention to anything the teacher said. He was a plague, he finally understood, bringing misery to everyone he got close to.

Just then, he heard some rustling, as though someone was coming in. Curiosity piqued, he looked up – and saw Moka coming in. "Sorry I'm late," she said to the teacher. "I had to recover first."

After class was over, Adam went to see Moka. "Are you . . . still angry with me?"

"No," Moka replied simply. "But I know a way you could make it up to me."

Adam obediently lowered his collar. "Take as much as you need."

Moka kissed his neck, just before biting into the vein and drinking the blood that flowed from the small wound. Adam bit his lip to stifle a blissful groan. Moka didn't hate him . . .

Once that was over with, Adam looked at Moka. "I just remembered. We're probably the only ones without a club."

That was when Miss Nekonome approached them. "I noticed. You two and Kurumu are the only ones without a club. How about you join my Newspaper Club?"

"Thank you, Nekonome-sensei," Moka said.

"I'll join, too!" Kurumu announced, tackling Adam and pressing her breasts into his face. _I won't lose to you, Moka Akashiya!_

Moka glared at Kurumu, who glared right back. Adam just tried not to suffocate in between Kurumu's bountiful breasts. _If the crazy students don't kill me, Kurumu will. With her love. Master Eubulon, Len, help._

Next: Wolf's Bane, Darkness Dragon

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, the third chapter of Onyx and Vampire. More romantic awkwardness and hot Kamen Rider action for the masses to enjoy, and even more on the way in the next chapter . . . which will feature a real wolf! Sorry for not using the mirror transport, Kamen Rider Chrome, but I didn't think a Rider could do it if he was separated from his deck. I'll include it in the future, though.

And now for an omake:

"I feel weird . . ." Adam groaned.

"Adam?" Moka asked. "Are you all right?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have drunk that potion . . ." He stopped himself when he looked at Moka. "I never knew you had such beautiful eyes."

Moka blushed. "Thank you. Yours are . . . I like your eyes, too."

"Moka . . ." Adam murmured, leaning closer to her. "I must make a confession."

"What is it?"

"Since the day I met you, I've been spellbound. You are everything I could ever want in a woman, and yet I am completely unworthy of you . . ."

"Don't say such things!" Moka exclaimed. "It's me who's not worthy of you!"

"Don't patronize me, Moka," Adam murmured. "I am not fit to be graced by your presence. But if you'll have me . . ." He kneeled before her and held her hand in both of his. "I'll be yours forever."

By this point, the couple had attracted a sizable audience, mostly full of admiring girls and jealous boys.

"He's so romantic!"

"I wish I had a boyfriend who'd talk to me like that!"

"Kiss him! Kiss him!"

"No fair!"

"That smooth-talking gaijin punk! I'll get him!"

"Yeah . . . if he didn't turn into some dragon monster and eat us for coming near his woman!"

"Adam . . . I love you, too!" Moka kneeled beside him and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately, much to the delight of the girls . . . except Kurumu.

"Damn it! My destined one! My mate of fate! Snatched from me!"

Hope you liked that one. There's another one coming next chapter.


	4. Wolf's Bane, Darkness Dragon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 4: "Wolf's Bane, Darkness Dragon"

Disclaimer: Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, Shonen Jump, and Viz. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang and Adness Entertainment. I make no profit at all from this story, nor do I receive any other form of compensation. This is just for fun.

Author's note: To the reviewer who's been requesting/demanding Yukari Sendou, you don't have to worry; she'll be coming in the next chapter. Right now, I'm going to introduce Gin, everybody's favorite lecherous werewolf! If you're wondering why I'm introducing Gin before Yukari, I'm following the order of events in the manga, which will include the eventual coming of . . . the Other Side of Onyx.

Let's ride!

* * *

"Can I suck your blood, please?" Moka asked Adam.

Adam smiled and lowered his collar for her to bite him again. Frankly, he was letting her do this for rather selfish reasons, i.e. he _liked_ it when she bit him. He liked it in the sense that it sent an erotic charge through his system whenever her teeth sank into his vein, and he was almost starting to get addicted.

He wasn't the only one, though. After Moka had had her fill of his blood, she looked at Adam and smiled. "Your blood tastes so good," she gushed. "I think . . . I think I might just become addicted!"

Adam smiled wryly. "You and me both," he mumbled quietly.

This was wrong, he thought to himself. He shouldn't be doing this to Moka. He shouldn't be letting her feed off him just to satisfy his own twisted desires. Of course, there was the matter of her needing blood to survive, and he was the only one she trusted to drink from. Hell, he was the only one she _wanted_ to drink from. Was it so wrong that he enjoyed the side benefits, namely Moka's closeness to him?

_A pity you're so shy around her,_ Xaviax's voice sneered in Adam's mind.

_Screw off,_ Adam snarled internally. _I'm not listening to you._

_And not following my advice turned out so well for you,_ "Xaviax" mocked in Adam's mind. _You're a pariah in both worlds. Len, Kit, and Kase might be fool enough to want you back, but the others . . . they've probably got it in their heads to kill you on sight._ Once again, Adam heard "Xaviax's" mocking chuckle.

Just then, Adam was mercifully distracted by Kurumu grabbing him and plunging his face into her bosom. "Adam! I'm so happy to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you, too," Adam tried to say, but considering how deep his head was in Kurumu's voluminous chest, it was too much to expect for anything he said to come out sensible. Unbeknownst to him, Kurumu and Moka were glaring at each other, each swearing to herself that she wouldn't be outdone by her rival.

Finally, Kurumu saw fit to release Adam from her hug, allowing the Black Knight to breathe. "I'm happy to see you, too," he repeated, this time audible if a little breathless. With Kurumu and Moka both seizing him by an arm, Adam walked to the Newspaper Club's meeting place.

It wasn't long, though, before Adam found that he, Moka, and Kurumu were the only members of the club. "Is this it?" he wondered. "Just us?"

Kurumu grinned mischievously at Adam, as though suggesting just what could happen in such a precarious situation. Adam resisted the urge to faint, run off in terror, or tackle Kurumu and start making out passionately with her right then and there. He turned to Nekonome-sensei, repeating his question.

"There's one more coming," Nekonome-sensei answered.

Indeed, that "one more" did come, in the form of a handsome dark-haired boy wearing a red headband and a slightly disheveled school uniform. Actually, the uniform was rather neat, but he wore the jacket open and had a few of the shirt's buttons undone, allowing his chest to be seen. Then there was the fact he was carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "I'm an upperclassman; I'm supposed to set an example. My name's Ginei Morioka. Call me Gin." He smiled when he saw Moka and Kurumu. "And it's such a pleasure to meet lovely ladies like you." He gave them roses, then turned to Adam and grinned at him. "Hey, it's everyone's favorite biker yokai."

"You know me?" Adam asked.

"By rep," Gin replied. "Beating up a thug like Saizo and cutting down the Swim Club tends to make someone a tad infamous."

"I'm gonna leave you guys to get to know each other," Nekonome-sensei said as she headed out the door. "Be kind to your sempai!" And she was out, leaving Gin alone with Moka, Adam, and Kurumu.

"Listen here," Gin said. "We are the Newspaper Club. It is our job to seek out news and report it to the student body, regardless of the danger to our lives. We must be willing to risk all for the sake of our craft, because this isn't gonna be a walk in the park. Anybody who can't handle that should get lost now."

Adam whistled. "You remind me of a guy I knew once."

"Really?" Gin asked. "Was he as handsome as me?"

"Not answering that," Adam replied.

"Oh, it's ok," Gin responded with a laugh. "No need to be so serious. What matters is that we all have fun and get along. Sound good to you?"

"Yeah, it does," Adam replied, while Moka and Kurumu whispered to each other about Gin's "fire."

* * *

Their first order of business turned out to be putting up posters to advertise for the Newspaper Club. Moka and Kurumu were standing on chairs that had been acquired to help them put the advertisements higher. Gin busied himself by "supervising" the girls, while Adam had been left to post advertisements on his own.

"Higher . . ." he heard Gin prompt the girls. "Higher . . ."

"Is this high enough?" Kurumu asked, sounding like it was putting her under considerable strain to stretch herself that much.

"Just a little more . . ." Gin prompted.

Adam snarled quietly and slapped his last advertisement onto the wall, then stormed over to Gin. "What are you up to, Gin? That's high enough!"

"Maybe for you," Gin replied flippantly, and it was at that moment that Adam noticed that Gin was in a crouch behind the girls – and not quite looking up at the advertisements.

"You'd better not be doing what I think you're doing," Adam warned with a note of quiet threat in his voice.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Gin asked. "I'm just helping to get the advertisements up."

"No, you're making them stretch themselves higher and higher and not really doing much of anything besides that," Adam retorted.

Gin chuckled when he noticed the girls' attention moving to him and Adam. "What's wrong?" Moka asked.

Adam tackled Gin against the wall, having realized why Gin would be crouching at that certain angle. "He's a pervert, that's what's wrong. He was looking up your skirts!"

"Gin, is this true?" Moka asked.

"Dunno what he's talking about, but I'd like to know just how he figured that I was looking up your skirts . . ." Gin replied. "Wouldn't you like to tell us, Adam?"

Just then, Moka and Kurumu came down, staring interrogatively at Adam. "Yes, tell us, please," Moka implored.

"At the angle he was crouching at, it would be a perfect way to peep and look innocent," Adam answered.

"And you'd know because you were the one peeking," Gin shot. "Really, why would I, of all people, do something like that?"

"You –" Adam started to say, but was cut off by a dual slap from Moka and Kurumu, who then stormed off in a huff.

"Well, thanks, man," Gin commented. "Now you've chased them off."

"Shut up," Adam snarled. "I know what you were doing."

"And do you have any proof?" Gin asked teasingly.

"I have my two eyes."

"Your two eyes aren't good enough."

Adam had had enough of Gin's arrogance, and he took a furious swing at the upperclassman, only for Gin to suddenly disappear in what seemed like the blink of an eye. From the rush of displaced air that had accompanied Gin's little Houdini act, Adam knew the silver-tongued bastard hadn't teleported, but rather moved so quickly as to seem like teleportation.

_That speed. Like Eubulon's __Speed Vent. What is he?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Moka was in her room beginning to lift her skirt out of curiosity as to what panties she was wearing that day, given what Gin had alleged Adam had seen. _What are you doing?_ Inner Moka asked harshly.

"Huh?" Moka asked.

_It's me. Be careful of Gin. He's more dangerous than he looks._

* * *

The next day was hell for Adam, given that neither Moka nor Kurumu wanted to talk to him. Moka had said it all: "I don't like perverts!"

_I'm not a pervert,_ Adam thought. _And Gin set me up._

_Not a pervert?_ Xaviax's voice taunted him. _You get off on having that sweet girl drink your blood. If only she knew. She'd really think you were a pervert, then._

_Shut up,_ Adam snarled at the specter of Xaviax that haunted his thoughts.

_I'm only saying what you already know,_ "Xaviax" responded. _And something else, too; Gin wants your women for himself. Take him out. Take him out first chance you get._

* * *

Elsewhere, Gin was asking about for information on Moka and Adam, specifically their relationship. He needed to know just what was going on between them if he was going to make Moka his woman, after all. Upon happening on a couple of girls, he asked them the same question he'd asked everyone else.

"What's going on between Moka Akashiya and Adam Taylor?"

"I dunno, they seem to be really close," one girl replied.

"I mean, really, I've seen her kiss him on the neck . . ." the other girl added, blushing a little. "And he really seems to like it."

_Kissing him on the neck?_ Gin thought, going into a small meltdown. _What the hell!_

"He really doesn't look like much, though," the first girl remarked. "But he is kinda cute."

"And Moka's gorgeous!" the second girl added. "She has the kind of beauty that charms even other women. I don't know why she's with him, but his motorcycle's kind of cool."

"Motorcycle?" Gin repeated. _I never got the deal with that bike. What is he, one of those bosozoku guys? No, he's always in school and he does fine from what I know._

* * *

Later that day, Gin got Adam alone. "What do you want?" Adam spat. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

"I want to make it up to you," Gin offered. "We're going on a mission."

"What kind of mission?" Adam asked.

"We're hunting down a peeping Tom who's been spying on the girls' locker room," Gin replied.

"What kind of idiot would do something like that?"

"Dunno, but that's what we're here to find out, isn't it?"

"Fine. But I'm watching you."

"Sure, man. Your call."

* * *

Thus it was that Gin and Adam were on a stakeout outside the girls' locker room looking for the peeper. "How would he do something like that?" Adam asked. "The window's too high, unless he could scale walls like a spider. Or stretch like taffy."

"That's what we're here to find out," Gin replied. "But there is another way of doing it." He pointed at a barrel. "See that? That's probably how he did it."

"And you know this how, exactly?" Adam inquired.

"Never mind," Gin answered. "I'm just testing a theory."

"Fine, but I see any funny moves out of you and I'll thrash you," Adam retorted, stalking over to the barrel and positioning it underneath the window. He climbed onto the barrel and stood on it. "There, good enough? Window's at eye level now."

"I wanna see if it really works," Gin said.

"And you expect me to believe that why?" Adam asked.

"Never mind," Gin answered. "Say, how are you and Moka these days?"

"She won't speak to me on account of you," Adam spat.

"Well, she's a lovely girl, Adam," Gin admitted. "I mean, really special. The kind that only comes along once every thousand years or so. And I think I'm falling in love with her. That's why I'm going to make her mine."

Adam sighed and turned away from Gin, even as he got a sinking feeling he knew just what was going to happen next. "And you're telling me this why?"

Just then, he heard a near-silent click, like a digital camera being snapped. His eyes widened and he turned to glare at Gin. "You're setting me up! You bastard! I should have known!"

"Keep it down, man," Gin breezily suggested, as though they were just in a movie theater. "You might have an actual chance of getting away with your life if you keep quiet."

"Did you hear that?" a girl asked from inside the locker room.

"Yeah, sounded like a guy yelling," another girl replied.

Adam lunged at Gin, but Gin just vanished again using that infernal speed of his. Knowing he had no more time to waste, Adam ran, ran, _and ran_ as fast as his legs could carry him, using every stealth and evasion trick he knew to keep himself ahead of the girls he knew were coming for him. If he could just find a mirror or some other reflective surface, he could escape into the veil separating the mirror world from this one.

As he ran, he thought of only one thing, _I'm going to kick Gin's ass for this._

"_Kick his ass?"_ Xaviax's voice mocked him. _You should have taken him out the second he confessed he wanted your woman for his own._

Having finally found a window, Adam threw himself into the reflection, fading into the veil between the mirror world and this world. Now he just needed to find his way to Moka before Gin got to her. Or at least, find his way to Kurumu so he could get a little help against Gin.

* * *

That night, Gin found Moka on the rooftop of the dorm, staring at the night sky in sadness. "It's been going all around," Gin remarked. "I mean, wow, I didn't think he was that sort of person."

"I didn't think so, either," Moka admitted. "But how much do I really know him?"

"Yeah, I know," Gin agreed. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure," Moka whispered.

_Damn it, I'm too late!_ Adam snarled, watching Gin and Moka from the reflections of the windows they passed on their walk. He ran through the reflections, trying to find a way to someone who'd be inclined to help him.

_Good luck,_ "Xaviax" mocked. _You're Public Enemy Numero Uno here. Who's gonna want to help you? Just like back in Ventara._

_And we know who was responsible for that, don't we?_ Adam retorted bitterly.

_Blame me all you want,_ "Xaviax" answered dismissively. _I just offered you a choice. You're the one who made it._

Adam's internal argument was disrupted by the sight of Kurumu walking. "Adam! Adam?" she was calling out. "Where are you?"

Adam reached out of the reflection he was currently in and pulled Kurumu inside. "I'm right here, Kurumu."

"Adam? What is this place?" Kurumu asked.

"The veil that separates my world from yours," Adam replied. "As a Kamen Rider, I can freely move between those worlds by way of any reflective surface."

"You mean, if you wanted, you could come into my room through the mirror?" Kurumu suggested with a slight blush.

"Yeah, something like that," Adam admitted. He looked at her a little more curiously. "But why were you looking for me?"

"Because I know you didn't do it!" Kurumu declared vehemently. "And it makes me mad that you're the one hiding, while the guy that really did it is going around as free as a jaybird!"

Adam looked at Kurumu, finding new appreciation for her loyalty and faith in him. "All right. Here's what we're going to do . . ."

* * *

Meanwhile, Gin and Moka's walk had taken them to a bridge, and the full moon was starting to peek out over the clouds. "Gin . . ." Moka murmured, as she tried to pull out of his embrace.

"What's going on?" Gin asked. "I'm just trying to be there for you."

"No!" Moka yelled. "You were feeling me up!"

"Sorry," Gin said. "It's just that when the full moon is out like this, I can't control myself . . . especially when I'm around you . . ." As he said this, he began to transform, growing dark fur over his body as his nails extended into claws. His features became more lupine, and began to transform into those of _an actual wolf!_ "So just don't resist, and let me make you my woman!"

Just then, Moka and Gin both heard the rumble of an accelerating motorcycle approaching them. They turned toward the sound, seeing that the motorbike was a black-and-silver EBR 1190RS model and its rider was a leather-jacketed man with silver stripes down the sleeves like tire treads. His face was completely concealed by a dark-visored helmet and Kurumu was sitting behind him just before unfurling her wings and detaching from him to fly free.

The biker, none other than Adam, removed a black case marked with a black dragon crest in the center from his jacket pocket and thrust it out. With the declaration of "Kamen Rider!" a high-tech-seeming belt with an empty buckle formed on his waist from a burst of electric black energy summoned by the case, and then Adam slammed the case into the buckle, which closed around it.

"Adam!" Moka shouted as she saw the paradoxically bright black light of her friend and would-be lover's transformation sequence.

With bike and rider both transformed, Adam charged furiously toward Gin. Above them, Kurumu shouted, "I saw the whole thing! Gin set Adam up! He's the real peeping Tom!"

"You can't prove that!" Gin shouted.

"How else would you have known how the peeping Tom spied on those girls?" Kurumu interrogated semi-rhetorically.

Just then, Kamen Rider Onyx jumped off his motorcycle, leaving the transformed machine to crash into Gin from sheer inertia, counting on its momentum to stun the werewolf for a while. Landing in a crouch on the pavement, he drew a card from his Advent Deck and inserted it into the Visor gauntlet on his left arm.

_SWORD VENT._

The Black Drag Saber fell out of the sky and landed in Onyx's hand. Just as he was about to attack Gin, Gin had not only recovered from the impact of Onyx's motorcycle, he had vanished as well. His sight a little keener inside his Rider armor, Onyx spotted Gin reappearing to pursue Moka again. The black dragon Rider moved to intercept him, only for Gin to brutally strike him down so swiftly it was a wonder he even knew it had happened. Not giving up, Onyx activated a second card.

_STRIKE VENT._

The Black Drag Claw landed on Onyx's right hand, shaped like Dragblacker's head. Dragblacker itself emerged out of a portal in the ground to attack at Onyx's command. When Dragblacker breathed its black flames at Gin, Gin quickly dodged, only to find Onyx rushing toward Moka. Gin intercepted Onyx with a quick sweep of his leg, but Onyx quickly flipped onto his free hand and twisted on it to kick Gin hard.

"You're tough," Gin remarked, wincing slightly from the force of the kick. "But you're nothing compared to a werewolf's power!"

"A werewolf," Onyx muttered in realization. "Must explain the speed, then; you're getting your power from the moon. Let's see how well you work when the moonlight isn't there!"

On his direction, Dragblacker exhaled black flames at the sky, blotting out the moon, much to Gin's horror. "_NO!_ You bastard!"

"Yeah," Onyx mocked. "You're the one who framed me for being a peeper, and you're calling _me_ a bastard? _Rich._"

While Dragblacker's flames had obscured the moon, they hadn't done so long enough, and Gin had enough power left to essentially maul Onyx. As Onyx tumbled to the ground next to Moka, slash marks all over his suit, he managed to reach out and grab her rosary, yanking it off her collar.

The transformation happened once more, Moka's skin growing paler, her hair turning silver, her eyes becoming red, and her curves becoming more pronounced. When it was over, Inner Moka glared at Kamen Rider Onyx.

"Stand, Kamen Rider."

Kamen Rider Onyx rose beside Inner Moka in a combat stance, while Gin looked at her in astonishment. "Even in your true form, you're beautiful!" he declared. "Be mine, Moka Akashiya!"

"Belong to a mangy dog like you?" Inner Moka sneered. "No." Just as she lunged to attack him, Gin began to dash in zigzag patterns around her, moving too fast for her or Onyx to even see.

"Let's see him dodge this," Onyx snarled, sliding in another card.

_ATTACK VENT._

Dragblacker moved ahead of Onyx and breathed its black flames out in a conflagration that even Gin couldn't avoid forever, and it turned out he really couldn't avoid the flames forever, forcing him to stop . . . just in time for Inner Moka to catch him.

"Did you really think you'd be a match for me?" she asked him.

"It doesn't matter!" Gin protested. "You'll still become my woman, Moka!"

"She's already spoken for," Kamen Rider Onyx retorted, drawing the card that bore his symbol and sliding it into his Visor gauntlet.

_FINAL VENT._

"You're going to finish him?" Inner Moka asked. "Good." She then turned to Gin. "Learn your place!" She twisted around to kick him once, and then spun in midair to kick him again, this time knocking him against the bridge's edge. Just then, Onyx leaped above her, his dragon's aura spilling out to entrap Gin and keep him from moving as Onyx prepared to finish him. Behind him, Dragblacker engulfed him in its flames, making his attack a burning kick that knocked Gin off the bridge and sent him crashing to the rocky ground below.

Onyx turned back to Inner Moka. "That takes care of him, I think."

"Yes," Inner Moka agreed. "Someone like that ought to be more prepared before trying to win me over."

Onyx smiled underneath his mask and returned the rosary to Moka, allowing her to attach it to her collar and give her outer self control of her body again.

* * *

The next morning, the Newspaper Club met to hand out the day's student paper. The news of the day, it turned out, was that Adam was totally innocent of the accusations of peeping and the real culprit was Gin. Speaking of the lecherous werewolf, he'd been forced to hide out for fear of getting the crap beaten out of him by the girls he'd peeped on.

Adam personally was glad that was over with. Now if he could find a way to make the ghost of Xaviax in his head shut up, then he could focus on making a better life with Moka and Kurumu. At least, that was what he hoped.

Next: Witch and Onyx

* * *

End Notes: There you go. Sorry I didn't bring in Yukari yet, but as you can tell by the title of the upcoming chapter, she's going to debut in there! Don't worry, Yukari fans; our lovable little witch will make quite a splash.

In the meantime, though, I'm also going to bring in other stuff from the Rosario + Vampire manga, and the other Kamen Riders are going to get involved eventually. How will Kit and Len react to the life Adam's made for himself? How will the other Riders respond to Adam's remorse for his betrayal of Ventara? _Why_ did he even do it in the first place, and what's the deal with that specter of Xaviax constantly taunting him?

For the answers to those questions and others, you'll just have to read on. Thanks for sticking with me so far, and hope you'll be back for more!


	5. Witch and Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 5: "Witch and Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is the property of Adness Entertainment and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikeda and Shonen Jump. I make no profit, monetary or otherwise, whatsoever from the writing of this story and do this only for my own pleasure.

Author's note: At long last, what you fans demanded of me has come! The arrival of none other than Yukari Sendo, everyone's favorite genius witch! Will the tentative relationship of Adam and Moka be ended by her mischief, or will they come out of it even stronger and with a new friend? And will the real damage come from the secrets of Adam's past? Now, let's ride!

* * *

_Voice Log,__ Kamen Rider Onyx: There are two hundred and fifty-six students in the freshman class of Yokai Academy. As the name "Yokai Academy" implies, they're all monsters of one kind or another, approximating human forms and attending this school to learn how to blend into human society. Not that all of them seem entirely comfortable with that idea, if the psychos I've had to fight are any indication._

_Despite the violent tendencies of a lot of my classmates, they're not that different from __Earth or Ventaran teenagers. They still worry about looking good for the opposite sex, and they still worry about succeeding in class. The classes are pretty much the same as any Earth or Ventaran high school, so it's not bad from that perspective, either._

_And now . . . we're all worried about our midterm math scores. Another thing that's not so different._

* * *

Speaking of midterm math scores, those scores had been posted in the hall the next morning, and the students were making various cries of shock, horror, disappointment, and relief. Stuff like, "Aw, crap, I'm doomed!" Or, "Man, I suck! I freaking suck!" Then there was the ever-reasonable, "It's the end! It's the freaking end! I'm never coming back from this! My parents are gonna murder me!"

Much to the joy of her fan club, Moka Akashiya had scored quite high on her midterm, making it to number 13. "Not just so beautiful . . . but so smart, too!"

"And she's so nice and not stuck-up at all!"

"Just another thing that makes our goddess Moka so perfect!"

Adam chuckled to himself. Seeing all these guys openly drool over Moka and her phenomenal beauty and incredible intelligence amused him. Somebody else might have gotten violently jealous, but Moka could take care of herself and he knew she wasn't really interested in her fan club. That didn't necessarily stop the specter of Xaviax from taunting him about letting the drooling go on, but Adam was trying not to listen to him.

"Great job, Moka," he said to her.

"Thank you," she replied cheerfully. "You didn't do too bad yourself."

"Are you kidding?" he asked. "I barely made it into the top 100 and even then I'm only 91. I'm really gonna need your help if I wanna reach your level."

"Then you'll have my help," Moka volunteered. "Just let me drink some of your blood in return!"

Adam tried not to look too overjoyed by the prospect of once more being Moka's personal blood fountain. "Sure, whatever."

* * *

As the two would-be lovers walked off together, a small girl in a witch's outfit watched them, or just Moka, to be more precise. Her silent observation of the pink-haired beauty was interrupted by the class representative and small entourage, who took the opportunity to mock her.

"Number one, huh?" the class representative sneered. "Really good. No wonder you were allowed to skip all the way into high school."

"Class representative . . ." the girl murmured nervously.

"And what's this? A cute little witch outfit?" the class representative taunted. "What, you think you don't have to follow the rules because you're so special?" He growled slightly. "I hate little brats like you . . ."

The girl looked down, but a small rock floated up from the ground and hit the class representative in the head, making him cry out in pain and the girl snicker with amusement. "Got you!"

"Why, you –!" he snarled, and was about to attack her when someone punched him in the jaw. He turned to his attacker, finding that it was none other than a sandy-haired boy wearing a leather jacket over his school uniform and accompanied by a beautiful pink-haired girl.

"I can't stand by and watch you pick on an innocent little girl like that!" the pink-haired girl declared.

As an astute reader might have guessed, the pink-haired girl was Moka Akashiya. Her leather-jacketed boyfriend-of-sorts was Adam Taylor, the one who'd punched the class representative in the jaw. Neither of them was very happy with what the class representative and his goons were trying to do to the young girl in the witch outfit.

"Get out of here," Adam warned the class representative, who was glaring at him but not doing much more than that due to there being too many witnesses.

"Wow, did you see that?" one of the onlookers asked.

"So cool!" came an admiring exclamation.

"Even the class representative isn't unbeatable for them!" a third crowed.

"It's ok," Moka said to the witch girl. "They won't hurt you anymore."

* * *

Later, Moka and Adam had lunch with the witch girl, who'd revealed that her name was Yukari Sendo. Moka was complimenting Yukari's outfit and her intelligence, and Yukari was beaming at the attention Moka was showering on her. Adam was mostly a spectator, watching the girls interestedly.

"Moka . . ." Yukari murmured shyly. "You're the one who's cool . . . and pretty . . ." Then she tackled Moka in a fit of passion. "I love you!" This startled both Adam and Moka, although Adam was doing his best to remain calm, collected, and cool. "I've been watching you . . . all this time . . . and I've just fallen more and more in love with you!"

"Yukari, I . . ."

"Surely it can't be that bad to be with someone like me! Please, Moka!"

"Ok . . ." Moka relented. "As friends."

* * *

That was the moment Moka and Yukari became inseparable, mainly because Yukari _just wouldn't let go._ In fact, the next morning, Yukari was hanging onto Moka as they went into school. Of course, if one was striving for accuracy, one would have to acknowledge that the young witch was really hanging on to Moka's breasts.

"They're even bigger than they look!" Yukari marveled aloud.

The rather-perturbed Adam, doing his best to remain calm, cleared his throat once he came within range of them. "You know, it's a bit rude to be openly groping someone's breasts."

"Phooey!" Yukari answered. "I've heard of you, Adam Taylor. Your grades are barely above average, and your athletic performance is nothing that a well-trained human couldn't do. Plus, your only hobbies are loud motorcycles and flashy martial arts! You're pretty much just an everyday boy with some gaudy tricks, and a goddess like Moka deserves better!"

_Well, you can't argue with her there,_ Xaviax's specter taunted Adam. _She does deserve better. You're worse than ordinary; you're a traitor who walked out on your own comrades because you got tired of fighting. And you're a pervert who gets off on her drinking your blood. Yup, definitely deserves better._

Adam was so absorbed in his "inner Xaviax's" ramblings that he almost didn't hear the last part of Yukari's rant. "So that's why I've sworn to keep any and all icky boys away from her! And that includes you!"

The next thing Adam knew, he was dodging brooms that came out of nowhere to attack him. Managing to grab one, he used it to block the others as though he were wielding a quarterstaff. Kicking another broom aside, he used the one he was holding as a vaulting pole to knock down two more. _This is completely insane,_ he thought to himself. _And I can't do this forever. Gotta escape. Damn it._

"How are you doing this?" he asked.

"Simple, I'm a witch!" Yukari declared.

_Isn't it against the rules to expose your monster identity?_ Moka and Adam were both wondering. Of course, Adam didn't have so much time to ponder this when he was still trying to dodge and evade the brooms Yukari was sending after him.

* * *

This was how Adam ended up in the Newspaper Club with just Kurumu Kurono for company. Gin still hadn't come back, probably recovering from the beating the girls he'd been peeping on gave him when they finally caught up to him. Personally, given that Gin had tried to make him take the fall so he could have Moka for himself, Adam thought the perverted wolf had it coming.

At the moment, he'd finished telling Kurumu the story of how he and Moka had come to be parted. "Damn Yukari won't let her out of her sight for even a freaking minute!"

"Yukari? You mean Yukari Sendo?" Kurumu asked.

"Yeah," Adam replied. "Is there another Yukari I wasn't aware of?"

"Not as far as I know," Kurumu answered. "For such a genius, she's also a selfish little brat, always playing mean pranks on her classmates. No wonder no one likes her."

Internally, Kurumu was thanking Yukari for the "favor" she'd done her. With Moka out of the way thanks to Yukari's lovesick clinging, Kurumu was free to stake her claim on Adam. Her dark knight would be hers and hers alone, at last!

Meanwhile, Yukari was spying on Adam and Kurumu. "Sorry, Adam, but Moka and her breasts are all mine," she murmured. "You can have the big-breasted cow." Using an effigy doll she'd mixed in with a lock of Adam's hair, she made him punch himself in the face, just to make sure it worked.

Inside, Adam groaned in pain, rubbing his nose. "Where did that come from?"

"You just punched yourself in the face!" Kurumu exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, but it wasn't me doing it," Adam replied. "My arm just moved on its own!"

Outside, Yukari giggled to herself, marveling at what she'd done. Now that she knew her doll worked, it was time for the next phase of her plan. She made the doll's arms reach out, and since Adam was so close to Kurumu . . . his hands ended up on her breasts. By sheer unlucky coincidence, that timed very well with the moment Moka happened to enter.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to –" Moka stopped herself when she saw Adam "groping" Kurumu's breasts.

"This. Is not. What it looks like," Adam stated very slowly, his outer calm belying the storm of emotion inside him. On the one hand, he was pissed that someone was playing puppeteer with his body to make him do perverted things. On the other, the part of him that was the standard teenage boy was happy as hell that he'd actually gotten to feel a cute girl's breasts. On the more gripping side of things, Moka had seen, and she was going to think he was cheating on her . . . and this was just so frustrating he could kill someone!

_Oh, goody, you're getting angry!_ Xaviax's specter mocked Adam. _How fun! You know who's doing this to you, right?_

_If you're trying to suggest that I kill a little girl, you're even sicker than I thought,_ Adam retorted.

_Actually, you're the one who inferred that,_ Xaviax answered calmly. _What does that say about you?_

_Go to hell._

_I'm already in hell. I'm just passing the time by visiting my favorite Kamen Rider in both worlds._

The thing that brought Adam out of his internal argument was Kurumu blushing and saying, "I didn't know you felt like that, Adam. If that was what you wanted, all you had to do was ask . . ."

Adam let go, realizing that he'd had control of his own body for a while now. "Ok, this has gone way too far!" He turned to Yukari, who had been brought in by Moka. "I know you love Moka. I am fully understanding of that. But you can't just do things like that to people because you think they're in your way! That's the way you end up completely alone . . . and I should know." The last part was whispered quietly.

"I'd rather be alone than be surrounded by friends of such low caliber!" Yukari retorted. "And besides, I've always been alone."

Adam's gaze softened. "Yukari . . . I . . ."

The former Dragon Knight should have never let his guard down, because that was how he came so close to being struck in the head by a pot that had materialized out of nowhere. Just barely avoiding the pot in time, Adam looked at Yukari again and saw her laughing in self-satisfaction.

"Got you good!"

Adam growled lowly in his throat. "I am really, really beginning to lose my patience."

"Adam!" Moka shouted. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _me?_" Adam echoed. "Gee, the fact that I can't even be near you anymore without risking my life even more than I already am just by being here? The fact that I tried to extend an olive branch to someone who repaid me by trying to drop something large and heavy on my head?"

"She's only a child!" Moka insisted.

"And why are you taking her side?" Adam interrogated.

"Because . . . she's not doing this to be mean," Moka replied. "It's the only way she knows to be with people."

Just then, Adam, Moka, and Kurumu noticed that Yukari had run away. Moka's first response was to run out as well, going to find Yukari. Adam just stood there, unable to understand the wall that had come up between him and Moka.

"You said Yukari's a witch, right?" Kurumu said.

"Yeah," Adam replied.

"Witches are 'border beings,' neither human nor yokai, and thus not accepted by either side," Kurumu explained. "Yokai think of them as half-breeds and barely better than humans, and humans hated them to the point of hunting them down and burning them at the stake. Yukari might have been serious about always being alone . . . if you think about it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Yukari was running through the woods surrounding Yokai Academy, not really noticing her surroundings until she ran into something. "Hey, you bumped into me, you big dope!"

Unfortunately for her, said "big dope" turned out to be the class representative. "Actually, _you_ bumped into _me,_ so you're the one that has to apologize." His entourage snickered, but unconcerned with them, the class representative went on. "In a way, this turns out quite well for us. Now we can finish what we started."

As the class representative and his cronies began to transform into their true forms as humanoid lizards, Yukari attempted to cast a spell with her wand. Unfortunately, the class representative bit her wand in half with his mouthful of sharp fangs.

_No!_ Yukari thought. _Without my wand, I can't do magic!_

Just as the lizardmen began to advance on her, Moka had arrived. "Yukari!"

"Moka, run! Save yourself!" Yukari yelled. "Don't worry about me!"

"You don't have to act tough with me!" Moka called out. "You don't have to be afraid to admit you need help . . . or a friend . . . and I'm willing to help you. I'm willing to be your friend . . . because I know what it is to be alone! That's why I won't leave you!"

"Moka . . ." Yukari uttered.

"What's with this maudlin crap?" the class representative asked. "And why are you ignoring us?" Angered, he moved to attack Moka while Moka was prepared to use her body to shield Yukari. Just as Yukari was about to shove Moka away to take the hit herself, something blocked the class representative and repelled him from the girls.

"Adam?" Moka asked.

The motorcyclist got off his bike and removed his helmet, revealing that he was indeed Adam. Without a word, he pulled his Advent Deck out of his jacket pocket and thrust it out, the burst of black electricity running from the deck down his arm and body to form the Advent Belt.

The lizardmen saw fit to attack Adam, who dodged and blocked their assaults, managing to kick one of them away just as he slid his Advent Deck into the buckle of the Advent Belt. "Kamen Rider." At that moment, the other two attacked him, only to be forcibly repelled by the spherical barrier that generated his armor. When it was gone, Kamen Rider Onyx drew his Sword Vent and slid it into his Visor.

_SWORD VENT._

"I understand better than you think, Yukari, what it's like to be alone," Onyx spoke, brandishing his Drag Saber. "That's why I won't let these bastards hurt you."

"You think you can take us on in that fancy armor, you punk?" the class representative asked.

In what could only be a flash of motion, Onyx was behind him, and the class representative had a bloody diagonal gash across his chest. "Yes," Onyx stated coldly.

"You little bastard!" the class representative roared, and he and his goons attacked Onyx as one. Onyx caught the fist of one and twisted hard to flip him into the air and then kicked him in the chest. With a half-cartwheel, half-flip, Onyx kicked another lizardman. Then he rebounded to attack the class representative with another sword slash. Unfortunately, the lizardman caught it in his teeth.

"Oh, are you trying to break it?" Onyx asked. "All you'll accomplish is –" He was cut off by the class representative's howl of pain, and he could see a lot of fangs falling out of his mouth. "See, that's what I was trying to warn you about. Ungrateful bastard." He kicked the class representative in his wounded jaw and took back his sword. He then walked back to Moka and Yukari, dispelling his armor as he came closer to them.

"Adam!" Moka shouted joyfully.

"It's ok," Adam said. "Those guys weren't so . . ."

"Look out!" Yukari shouted, and Adam whirled around just in time to get slashed by the class representative's claws.

"_Adam!_" Moka shrieked, horrified.

"Serves me right for getting cocky," Adam muttered, as he dodged what would have been a fatal slash.

"Don't turn your back on me, dragon," the irate lizardman snarled.

"Adam, you're hurt!" Yukari exclaimed.

"I'll be fine," Adam answered, holding back a pained wince.

"Pull off my rosary!" Moka shouted.

Adam dodged the other two lizardmen's attacks, although his wound had rendered his reaction time somewhat slower. Managing to make it to Moka, he pulled off her rosary and spun around, thrusting his Advent Deck out for another transformation. Once the Advent Belt was fully formed around his waist, he slid his deck into its buckle.

"Kamen Rider."

Both Adam and Moka transformed, with black armor forming around Adam's body and Moka changing into a silver-haired, crimson-eyed super-vampire. "Sorry, Moka. I shouldn't have underestimated them."

"No, you shouldn't have, Kamen Rider," Inner Moka replied archly. "Now I have to deal with these losers. Stand back."

"That demonic aura . . ." the class representative uttered in shock. "So this is the super-vampire! No matter! You won't –!" Before he could finish his sentence, his comrades were lying on the ground completely brutalized. "What speed is this!"

"The power of a true monster," Inner Moka replied, appearing behind him. "You're nothing more than a small-minded bully, whose power is fit only to take advantage of the weak. Your place is in the dirt, beneath my heel." She whirled and delivered a vicious high kick to his jaw, smashing in what few teeth remained after his effort to chew through Onyx's saber. "_Know your place!_"

She looked at Kamen Rider Onyx and strode toward him. "If you'd just used that trump card of yours in the first place, we wouldn't be here now. If you'd died, things wouldn't have been too good for the other Moka and Yukari. And we would have lost our favorite meal."

"I'm touched you're so concerned about me," Onyx remarked.

"I'm not," Inner Moka denied. "But the sentimental Moka would have cried endlessly. I can't have that. So keep yourself on guard. You're not as good as you think you are."

Onyx sighed and moved to Yukari, kneeling in front of her as he powered down his armor once again. "Yukari . . . you don't have to act tough in front of us. We understand what it's like to be alone, and I understand what it's like . . . to want someone to love you, to want that love so badly you'd do anything. You're not alone in this. Not now. Not ever again."

Yukari just looked at Adam, tears welling up in her eyes, and then she began to bawl loudly. However, these were not tears of sadness, but rather tears of joy at having finally found someone who could understand her. Adam pulled Yukari into a hug, letting the young witch cry on his leather-clad shoulder.

* * *

The next day, things had changed a great deal in Yokai Academy. The class representative and his goons had been temporarily kicked off campus for their attempt to kill Yukari. In fact, that action was denounced as "behavior disgracing their office and the example they were supposed to set for the student body."

Yukari had changed as well, apologizing to the entire freshman class for her pranks. The freshman class wholeheartedly embraced her after that and even realized that they could have tried a little harder to befriend her. If they had, maybe she wouldn't have been such a vicious prankster. There was another change in Yukari's demeanor that Adam wasn't sure he liked, though.

Specifically, Yukari had joined the Newspaper Club . . . and was also in love with him.

"What brings you to the Newspaper Club, Yukari?" Adam asked.

"I've joined the club," Yukari replied.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"To be closer to you!" Yukari answered, tackling him into a hug with surprising force for one so small. "When you came to save me from those goons, you were like a knight coming to save a princess! And I was that princess! I felt . . . such a romantic atmosphere . . . that's why I've decided! I love both you _and_ Moka!"

Adam was rather hesitant; after all, he was considerably older than Yukari and he was no deviant. Of course, the "voice" of Xaviax just had to say his piece. _Well, you can always wait until she's old enough, and when she's ripe for the taking . . ._

_Shut up, you're disgusting!_ Adam retorted viciously.

_**I'm**__ disgusting? I'm just a figment of your own broken mind, young man. If anything, __**you're**__ the one who's disgusting. Betraying your own people . . . and over a woman, no less. Really, Adam. __**You're**__ going to lecture me about disgusting?_

Adam's self-torment was broken up by the presence of Moka and Kurumu, who both went after Yukari to get her to let go of "their man." Yukari wouldn't let go so easily, leaving Adam as the rope in a game of tug-o'-war. This was almost a mercy, as it meant Adam couldn't think about what his inner Xaviax was taunting him with, and maybe he'd no longer be able to think about _her._

Next: Art of Dark Dragon

* * *

End Notes: There you have it! For all of you who requested Yukari, she is here at last and will be a regular of the cast of "Onyx and Vampire" from this point forward. Of course, there are still questions to answer about Adam's past.

One of those questions is what's with Xaviax talking in his head? Is Xaviax still alive or has he become an "evil Force Ghost" haunting Adam in an attempt to drive him back to the dark side? Who is this girl Adam's thinking about, and what impact will her memory have on Adam's relationships with Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari?

And when will Mizore and Ruby show up? The answers to all of these questions will be coming, but you'll have to keep reading. Until next time, let's ride!


	6. Art of Dark Dragon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 6: "Art of Dark Dragon"

Disclaimer: Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang and Adness Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story and I am only doing this for fun.

Author's note: Sorry for being away so long; as you might be able to tell from looking at my profile, I had other things on my mind. Of course, I could never stay away from this story forever, and now I'm gonna hit you with a new chapter. Here, we see the debut of art teacher Hitomi Ishigami, and Moka seems to be up to something. Whatever it is, let's find out.

_

* * *

_

Voice Log, Kamen Rider Onyx: Two months. Two months since I started going to school in Yokai Academy, and it's getting close to my 17

_th__ birthday. Technically, I should be pushing 60, but all that suspended animation pretty much did a number on my aging process. Pretty much why nobody bats an eyelash at me being here; they just think I botched my entrance exams last year._

_Surprisingly, I'm actually starting to like Yokai Academy a little. Once you get past the fact that it's a school for monsters and that some of the student population is bug-frick crazy, it's not so bad. At the very least, it's never a dull day. I'd like to spend my birthday with Moka, and hopefully tell her a little more about myself. Can I tell her the truth, though? The _real_ truth, that I'm a monster who betrayed his friends because he couldn't take losing the girl of his dreams?_

_No. Can't tell her. She'd hate me, and I don't . . . want her to hate me. Whatever. Screw it. I've got class. End Voice Log._

* * *

Adam Taylor couldn't concentrate in class, as his thoughts kept drifting to Moka and his fateful birthday. In his fantasy, Moka sauntered toward him, her hair floating in the breeze as she came closer to him.

"_Happy birthday, Adam . . ."_ she greeted him, her voice seductively breathy.

Just as they were about to kiss, Adam was forcibly snapped out of his fantasy by the sounds of someone snickering. Adam aimed a death glare at the snickering student, who quickly shut himself up. His daydream ended, the Kamen Rider resigned himself to doing his best to pay attention to the class. Now if only he could remember what class it actually was . . .

It was right before class ended that Adam finally figured out what it was. Of course, by then, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. Adam shook his head in irritation and went to the Newspaper Club meeting room, where he spotted Moka reading an art book of some kind.

With a lovesick sigh, Adam watched Moka read, wondering what was in that book that fascinated her so. Just then, he felt something hit him hard upside the head, and he whirled for a violent retaliation, only for the culprit to quickly dodge just outside of Adam's visual range. "Hey, man, what are you doing daydreaming? It's club time!"

Adam growled upon hearing the voice. "Gin."

"Why so grouchy, man?" Gin asked. "You mad I interrupted your fantasizing about Moka? Speaking of whom . . ." Gin sauntered over to Moka. "I must say, Moka, you are looking especially lovely today."

"Thank you, Gin," Moka replied, blushing but able to concentrate on the book. His curiosity piqued, Gin attempted to look over Moka's shoulder to see what she was reading.

"Say, baby, are you taking up painting?"

"It's a surprise!" Moka insisted, shielding her art book from Gin's prying eyes.

"You can tell me," Gin wheedled. "You know I won't tell anybody, that's how much I love you!"

Adam growled with jealousy. _"I love you" isn't just something you can say with no regard for the consequences, you damn player._

_Really?_ Xaviax's voice remarked. _Is that why you never told her how you felt? Scared of the consequences? Scared of what would happen if she found out exactly what you are? Well, you should be. Who's gonna want someone as unreliable as you?_

Interrupting Adam's internal conflict was Kurumu, who shouted his name to get his attention. He turned, prepared to get his face stuffed into Kurumu's voluminous chest again, but Kurumu instead opted to tackle him for a hug.

"Together for another day!" she shouted. "I love you, Adam!"

Adam did his best not to look or sound overwhelmed, but he was still surprised by the outpouring of affection from Kurumu. At the moment he was about to respond, he heard a young voice shout, "Wait just a minute there!"

The next thing either Adam or Kurumu knew, a dustpan had materialized high above them and was now sweeping after them. Adam quickly pushed Kurumu out of the way of the dustpan while jumping backward and flipping onto a desk to avoid the tub himself. Gin was not as lucky, ending up getting hit in the head by a mysteriously levitated desk.

"I will not let anyone get away with putting their hands on Moka or Adam!" Yukari declared, making her big entrance. "I'll fight off anyone that tries to take them away with my magic! Because they're both mine!"

_Someone is going to have to teach her not to do that sort of thing, even if the sentiment's understandable,_ Adam thought.

_You didn't mind it when Gin got hit in the head,_ Xaviax's voice murmured. _Served him right, though, going after your woman like that._

"Who's she?" Gin asked, albeit somewhat woozy from being hit in the head by a desk.

"Yukari Sendo, our newest member, and a girl genius!" Moka replied cheerfully.

Kurumu went for Adam again, only for Adam to end up having to tackle her out of the way of a flying chair. "Ooh, I knew you felt the same way, Adam!" Kurumu chortled.

Adam groaned, trying his best to make it not sound like one of arousal, although it did feel nice to be pressed up against Kurumu like that. _This is going to be a long one,_ he thought.

_Oh, "long." Excellent choice of words,_ Xaviax quipped.

* * *

After that day's club session ended, Adam followed Moka out, intending to walk her home. Unfortunately for him, Moka had other plans.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "This isn't the way back home."

"I know," Moka admitted. "You see, I agreed to model for the art teacher for the week, so . . . we won't be walking home together for that time."

"Well, could I at least walk you to the art teacher?" Adam asked.

"Sure!" Moka replied cheerfully.

"Hey, if you're going to be modeling for the art teacher for the whole week, what happens to . . ." Adam trailed off, silently gathering the courage to finish his question.

"I'll still work hard for the Newspaper Club," Moka declared.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Adam corrected. "It's . . . my birthday in six days. I wanted to spend it with you."

"Oh . . ." Moka trailed off, unsure of what to say next. "I . . . I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Moka," Adam replied with a smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right."

"Could you do just one thing for me before I go in . . . ?" Moka asked.

"What would that be?" Adam asked as Moka began to lean closer to him.

"Let me drink from you . . ." Moka replied softly.

Adam couldn't refuse her, no matter how sad he was that she wouldn't be there for his birthday. As her teeth broke the skin of his neck and sank into the vein, he felt the strange, heady bliss that came over him whenever Moka drank his blood. He now realized that he knew how all those swooning teenage girls in those vampire romance books felt whenever their boyfriends drank from them. It was almost . . . like sex.

_Not that you'd know, because you still haven't gotten around to that. Being a Kamen Rider doesn't leave you time for these things, you know,_ Xaviax quipped at Adam's expense.

* * *

The next day, there was another meeting of the Newspaper Club, with Gin talking at length about a rash of disappearances around the campus. Adam leaned closer, wondering just what demented bastard would feel Kamen Rider Onyx's wrath when he caught up to him.

"Several female students have vanished without a trace in the past month," Gin explained. "Just one month. Not quite unusual here, but that many in a single month is cause for concern, don't you think?" He passed out picture collages of the missing girls to everyone in the room. "I've collected some basic information on them, and we're going to get to the bottom of this!"

_Wow, you actually sound respectable when you get like this,_ Adam thought half-sardonically. _Of course, given that these are pretty girls you're talking about, I shouldn't be that surprised . . ._

"As you can tell from the pictures, the girls that disappeared are all pretty hot, and I want to save them from whoever's holding them captive!" Gin declared. "If they think well of me, that gives me the chance to get to know them better. . . ." A mischievous smile formed on his face.

"That's it, you just wanna get into somebody's panties," Adam muttered.

"The side benefits of being a hero," Gin commented. He looked at Adam with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm sure you know all about that, right, Kamen Rider Onyx?"

Adam nearly attacked Gin on the spot, but through a supreme effort managed to stay in his seat. _He_ does_ have a point, you know,_ Xaviax's specter remarked. _You could have had any girl you wanted back when you were Dragon Knight. Even back on Earth, you could have had that girl that hung around Kit all the time. But you only had eyes for one girl, and you've gone and left her because you think you don't deserve her. Painful, wasn't it?_

_Shut up,_ Adam snarled internally.

* * *

After club was over, Adam intended to walk Moka to the art teacher for her modeling session, but Gin made him sweep up after the clubroom. Therefore, he could do nothing more but argue with himself, or rather, the specter of Xaviax that still haunted him as he cleaned up.

_You're surprisingly unconcerned about Moka not caring about your birthday,_ Xaviax remarked.

_It's not like I deserve a birthday,_ Adam answered. _After what I've done, what you drove me to do . . . I don't deserve to be alive at all._

_So that's why you're not bothered,_ Xaviax mused. _You don't think you deserve to be with Moka. Well, maybe you don't. But I didn't make you do anything you didn't want to do. All I did was give you the resolve to take what you wanted. Where's that resolve now?_

_I've seen where it leads, listening to you,_ Adam retorted acidly.

_Yes, yes, where does it lead?_ Xaviax asked mockingly. _My way, you could have had power beyond your wildest imaginings. But you turned on me, and for what? To redeem yourself? To salvage your name among people who only regard you as a necessary evil? Really, Adam, you're kind of an idiot sometimes._

Interrupting Adam's internal battle was Moka's voice, calling out, "Oh, sensei, sorry to keep you waiting!"

Adam chanced a look and saw Moka meeting up with an older woman in a paint-stained white jacket. The woman was definitely beautiful, with long blonde hair mostly in thin braids with brush-like tips and wearing a bandana over her head. _So that's the art teacher,_ he thought.

_Hmm, yes,_ Xaviax intruded once again. _Beautiful woman. But you know what they say, the loveliest rose has its thorns._

The art teacher smiled beatifically at Moka. "When I see someone as beautiful as you, I just _have_ to have you in my art collection! Your beauty is truly a thing of high art!"

"I'm looking forward to working with you for the week, Ishigami-sensei," Moka answered demurely.

"Me, too . . ." Hitomi Ishigami agreed with that same beatific smile.

_I could think of worse art teachers to model for,_ Xaviax commented. Catching Adam's darkening thoughts, he quickly added, _It's not like you weren't thinking it, Adam._

_Yeah, but I don't need you repeating my thoughts,_ Adam snapped back.

_You're just angry that I know you so well,_ Xaviax rejoined with a smirk in his "voice."

* * *

The next day, Adam had art class, and it turned out to be with none other than Hitomi Ishigami, the same woman that had Moka modeling for her. "Today, we'll be continuing with last week's theme of 'what's important to you.' Just remember, what's important to all of us is the art in each and every one of your hearts. Paint whatever you want!"

_Important to me . . ._ Adam thought, his mind drifting to Moka . . . and Kurumu . . . and Yukari . . . and even Gin. His mind drifted further back to the Kamen Riders of Ventara, particularly Len and Kase.

_And you betrayed everything that was important to you, didn't you?_ Xaviax observed.

_Don't you shut up for even a minute?_ Adam asked irritably.

_How else am I supposed to remind you that you're not alone?_ Xaviax asked. _Even if everyone else figures out what you are and leaves you, I'll still be here. Always. Remember that, Kamen Rider Onyx._

To distract himself from Xaviax's taunts, Adam focused on Ishigami, noting that she was really popular with the girls of her class . . . maybe even with the girls of the school itself, as one student's affectionate declaration would demonstrate.

"Sensei, I'm skipping gym class to have fun with you!"

Ishigami's response was an affectionate chuckle and a cheerful call of, "Oh, you!"

Then Adam's thoughts drifted to Moka again, wondering just what kind of modeling she could be doing for Ishigami. He honestly hoped it wasn't nude modeling, but that might have been irrational, possessive jealousy talking. He knew what had happened the last time he'd acted on his jealousy.

"Um, sensei, could you help me with this?" he heard Moka ask, prompting him to look over and see Ishigami giving Moka tips on her artwork.

_Why do I feel this chasm growing between us, Moka?_ Adam mused silently, watching her and Ishigami. They had such a rapport, such an easy camaraderie . . . that it made him envious, despite everything he knew about what envy led to. He made his resolution at that moment; he had to talk to Moka, before this gap between them grew any more.

* * *

As they were walking out after the end of class, Adam jogged up to Moka. "Moka! I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Um? What is it, Adam?" Moka asked.

Adam swallowed deeply, and focused every last bit of courage he could summon into what he was going to say next. As he was ready to speak, someone bumped into him, only to forcefully rebound off his stiff frame and hit the ground.

"Owwww!"

"Kurumu!" Adam shouted, whirling to help her up. "Are you ok? I didn't see you there . . . I'm sorry . . ."

"Adam . . . we're so lucky to bump into each other in the hallway, aren't we?!" Kurumu squealed joyously as she once again buried his face in her voluptuous bosom. "It's fate!"

_Damn it, no!_ Adam thought, as Moka began to move away. He managed to pull his face out of Kurumu's chest long enough to shout, "Moka, wait! We still have to talk!"

"Sorry, Adam, but I'm in a real hurry right now!" Moka responded as she walked away from him and Kurumu.

_No freaking fair,_ Adam thought.

_You know, you can always have a private birthday celebration with Kurumu,_ Xaviax offered. _She's practically begging for it._

_You slimy bastard,_ Adam snarled. _I'm not going to use Kurumu like that!_

_She's using you, too, you know,_ Xaviax retorted. _And this way, you both benefit. You lose your virginity to a beautiful girl, and she gets to help increase her race's population. Win-win!_

If Adam could stab himself in the part of his brain that contained Xaviax's specter, regardless of the cost to himself, he would. That was how disgusted he was with the thoughts that were roiling in his brain, courtesy of said specter.

* * *

As the week went on, Adam attempted again and again to ask Moka to celebrate his birthday with him. Each attempt was met with failure, as someone interrupted somehow. It had gotten to the point that the last time someone interrupted, Adam just hauled off and subjected the bastard to the worst beating he'd given anyone outside of his Rider armor. That hadn't won him any points with Moka, and he frankly didn't feel any better.

At the end of his rope, Adam went directly to the art room to ask Moka. If he had to fight through Ishigami, he would; he was that frustrated, that fed up, and that damn pissed off with everything. To his shock, there was nobody in the room, leading him to mutter a string of profanities under his breath that would have made a certain late comedian roll in his grave.

"Screw it," he muttered, getting some control over himself. "I'll wait here. I can do that."

Despite his resolution, his instincts were telling him that something was horribly, horribly wrong in here. Listening closely to the silence, he heard sobbing coming from the lockers. _What the hell? Moka?_ He walked closer to the lockers and opened one of them, only to find a nude statue of a girl with a strangely familiar hairstyle . . . and that statue was crying.

"How the hell did this happen?" Adam wondered aloud, his combat-honed instincts warning him of imminent danger to his person.

"_Hey! What are you doing to my art?_" he heard Ishigami harshly inquire from behind him.

Adam whirled into a combat stance, ready to defend himself, one of his hands creeping toward the Advent Deck hidden in his jacket. Ishigami looked at him curiously, and then her expression melted into her usual benevolent demeanor.

"Adam? Adam Taylor from Class 3?" she asked cheerfully. "You came to pick up Moka?"

Adam didn't relax in the slightest. Yes, he moved out of his combat stance, but he was still tense, still ready to fight if he had to. "Yeah," he replied somewhat tersely. "Where is she?"

"Too busy with me to spend time with you, I'm afraid," Ishigami answered.

Adam's eyes narrowed, as his hand gripped his Advent Deck tightly. "Why?"

"Why, you ask?" Ishigami responded, just as Moka came out.

"Adam, what are you doing here?!" Moka sounded stunned, to say the very least.

"What am I doing here?" Adam repeated. "I'm here to ask you something."

"You can't be here!" Moka exclaimed. "It's too embarrassing!"

"What, are you doing some kind of nude modeling for Ishigami?" Adam inquired, jealousy creeping into his tone.

Moka began shoving Adam out of the room, her strength making that task rather easy for her. "It's none of your business!"

"None of my business?" Adam repeated. "Look, I don't think you should be here right now, in this place."

"What I do is my business!" Moka yelled. "Just go!"

"I _can't_ go!" Adam answered. "And you wanna know why?" He slipped out of her grip and threw the locker door open, revealing the crying statue. "Does this girl look familiar to you, Moka?"

"Of course," Ishigami replied for Moka. "She was another of my models. I made a statue of her."

"You mean that _literally,_ don't you?" Adam accused. "Statues don't cry!"

"Adam, what are you saying?!" Moka shouted.

"I'm saying . . . I get it now," Adam explained. "I know exactly what Ishigami is doing here, with all these girls . . ."

* * *

As this confrontation was occurring, Yukari was looking into a divination orb and what she saw worried her greatly. Specifically, she had looked into Adam and Moka's mutual futures, and seen a mass of writhing snakes.

"What do you see?" Kurumu asked.

"Nothing good for Adam and Moka," Yukari replied soberly.

"Another girl went missing yesterday," Gin brought up. "Eight in a row now." He held up a picture of the newest missing girl, and it was of the same adoring girl who had skipped gym class to have fun with Ishigami.

* * *

Back in the art room, Ishigami's hair began to transform, the brush-like tips of her braids mutating into snakeheads. "What's going on, Ishigami-sensei?!" Moka asked. "Why is your hair changing like that?"

"I'm afraid Adam knows too much," Ishigami replied grimly. "That's why you and he can't be allowed to leave here." Her snake-headed braids lunged at Moka and Adam, as though having minds of their own, only for Adam to shove Moka away from the snake-braids and block the one closest to him with his Advent Deck.

Thrusting the Advent Deck out, a burst of black energy from it ran down his arm and side to form the Advent Belt. "I'm not letting you have Moka," Adam snarled. "Kamen Rider!" Just as he was about to slide the Advent Deck into the buckle of his Advent Belt, he had to dodge Ishigami's snake-braids again. As he dodged, he slid his deck into the buckle.

Meanwhile, Moka had found a hidden room full of crying statues just like the one Adam had uncovered. "Oh, my God . . . these statues . . . they're crying just like they're alive!"

"That's because they are the beautiful students of this Academy," Ishigami purred malevolently. "I've preserved their beauty for all time, just like I'll do with you. That is the level of my dedication to my art!"

Kamen Rider Onyx had heard legends of monsters like Ishigami before. They were known as Gorgons, able to transform any living thing into stone, with stronger ones capable of doing so with merely a stare. He was not going to let Moka meet that fate – not if he had anything to say about it.

"All those girls who went missing . . . it was because of you!" Moka accused, albeit wrapped in Ishigami's snakes. "Adam was right!"

"That silly boy?" Ishigami purred. "My fault for being so careless. But I will not stop." She stroked a crying statue's cheek. "They are all just too beautiful like this, and now it's time I put the finishing touches on you, my sweet Moka."

_SWORD VENT._

Ishigami screamed in furious agony as Kamen Rider Onyx sliced off the snake-braids that were holding Moka. "Not as long as I'm here," he snarled, his voice deeper than normal.

"Adam!" Moka shouted once freed. "Get away from here! She'll turn you to stone, too!"

"I'm not letting her turn you to stone, Moka," Onyx answered grimly. "I'm not letting her take you from me."

"You irritating boy!" Ishigami yelled, directing her remaining snake-braids to attack Onyx and ensnare Moka once more. Onyx responded by blocking them all with his sword, even slicing some of the heads off. As he did, he continued to speak to Moka.

"I was alone . . . for a long time. I was alone because of my own sins, because of the crimes I committed against those that were precious to me once. I deserved that, of course, but meeting you . . . brought some light back into my life. I _need_ that light, Moka Akashiya. I need _you,_ Moka. No matter how you feel about me, I'm going to fight for you with everything I have, everything I am."

"You think a fancy suit of armor and some card tricks are all it takes, boy?" Ishigami taunted, her snakes finally grabbing him when he blocked them from claiming Moka. They tried to bite through his armor, but Ishigami got a painful surprise. "What's going on . . . ? You're not . . . ?"

"That's my little secret, Ishigami-_sensei,_" Onyx retorted, placing mocking emphasis on "sensei."

"No matter!" Ishigami declared. "I'll just have to find a way to tear that armor off, and then make you understand what suffering truly is!"

Onyx smiled grimly beneath his mask. "I know better than you think, Ishigami-sensei . . . and _you're_ about to find out yourself." He held up Moka's rosary cross, which he'd managed to remove while distracting Ishigami by dodging and blocking her attacks.

"What?!" Ishigami yelled, as she felt a dark aura rising from Moka . . . who rose to her feet, silver-haired, red-eyed, inhumanly beautiful – and absolutely deadly. Ishigami's response was to flip out. "You two! You can't even understand art, can you?! Why don't you just lie down and turn to stone?!"

Ishigami moved to attack them again, but Onyx and Inner Moka dodged apart from each other, then moved together to finish her off. Onyx slotted his Strike Vent card, summoning Dragblacker through the reflective surface of a window and attaching a claw resembling Dragblacker's head to his hand.

"Hey, Moka," Onyx said, "how do you feel about a combo attack?"

"I would be much obliged," Inner Moka replied with a smirk.

Just as she launched herself into a flying kick, Onyx unleashed the black fire to augment the force of that kick, brutally ramming Ishigami into the wall with enough momentum to practically embed her in it. Ishigami collapsed, and the black fire left a mark on the wall, a mark resembling Onyx's symbol.

"That's that, huh?" Onyx commented. "What happens to the girls now?"

"You'd better go," Inner Moka suggested haughtily. "It's not good for boys to be around naked girls."

Onyx chuckled and gave Inner Moka her rosary cross, then turned to walk out through the reflective window Dragblacker had emerged from. "By the way . . . thank you," Inner Moka said.

"You're welcome," Onyx replied before disappearing into the mirrored surface. After reaching his dorm via mirror-walking, he disengaged his armor and changed into his sleeping clothes, dropping on the bed from sheer exhaustion. _That was a rough week._

* * *

The next morning, Moka called Adam over to her room just before class could start. It was technically against the rules for boys to be in the girls' dorm and vice versa, but mirror-walking enabled Adam to bypass the usual restraints.

"What happened to the girls?" he asked.

"They all woke up back to normal after we defeated Ishigami," Moka explained. "I was gonna tell you, but I thought you needed your rest, and I needed time to finish . . . your birthday present."

She uncovered an art stand, revealing a watercolor painting of Adam . . . as both his human self and as his Kamen Rider self, the two sides of him standing back to back. "I know it's not that good and I'm sorry I worried you, but that's why I went modeling for Ishigami . . . to get lessons so I could do this for you," Moka admitted.

"It's beautiful, Moka," Adam said. "Thank you."

"Happy birthday, Adam," Moka responded. "I love you . . ."

She moved closer to him, just about to kiss him, and Adam was cursing himself internally for not saying what he wanted so badly to say to her. Fortunately or unfortunately, Adam was saved any further self-reflection by Kurumu and Yukari bursting in.

"Happy birthday, Adam!" they shouted.

"Here's your present, Adam, a year's worth of cookies!" Kurumu declared, giving him a large bagful of cookies.

Yukari gave Adam a doll dressed up as his Rider form. "I hope you like this."

"I do," Adam replied. "Yours, too, Kurumu. Thanks, you guys . . . for everything."

The three girls embraced Adam, and Adam smiled softly to himself, remembering what he'd been working on as his art assignment. He'd have to show it to them, too, show them a little bit of what he felt for them. But was he ready to show them the truth of who he was and what he'd done? That was something that still chilled him to the bone, deep down.

_Such a lovely day, Adam,_ Xaviax's specter remarked. _Enjoy these days while you can. They won't last forever._

Next: Dark Dragon's Deadline.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, the latest chapter of "Onyx and Vampire." Sorry for not coming back to this sooner; I had other things on my mind as you can tell from my author profile. I hope you can forgive me, and I hope this update assuaged some of your concerns about the future of this story.

Rest assured, I will keep going for as long as I possibly can, because there's still a lot to do, like Adam's secret being revealed to his harem, said harem meeting the Kamen Riders of Ventara, and the debut of the Dark Riders! We're not done by a long shot! Let's ride!


	7. Dark Dragon's Deadline

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 7: "Dark Dragon's Deadline"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to the Brothers Wang and Adness Entertainment. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I have no association with either that would allow me creative control or profit; I am simply doing this for my own entertainment and that of the readers.

Author's note: Well, if you've been keeping up with Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, you'll notice that specific details in this story don't quite sync with what's happened in the series proper. Of course, I did say at the beginning that this was A/U for KRDK and R+V, so I'm not that worried. I will be incorporating elements from the canonical KRDK, but this is still its own story and its own canon.

Anyway, this and the next two or three chapters comprise what I call the "Love Is Pain" arc. Why? Because those chapters will be exploring Kurumu's and Moka's feelings for Adam and vice versa juxtaposed with the conflicts in their lives because of their natures. Oh, and for those of you who've been clamoring for your favorite "abominable snowgirl" to make her debut here, I give. She's going to show up here, too, right after Kurumu's and Moka's stalkers/suitors in this arc.

Enjoy. Let's ride!

_

* * *

_

He stood in a void, watching a brunette girl drift away from him. He ran toward her, but the more he ran, the farther away she drifted. "Sara!"

"_I'm sorry, Adam . . . but I can't love someone who'd betray our world," Sara whispered as she disappeared._

"_No!" Adam screamed as he attempted to grab her, but she disappeared completely before his hand even reached her. He whirled around and saw the Kamen Riders – Len, Kase, Hunt, Price, and Chance – looking at him reproachfully. "I'm sorry!"_

"_Sorry isn't good enough, Adam," Kase answered coldly. "You betrayed us for your own selfish desires. Don't come anywhere near us again."_

_The Riders disappeared, too, leaving Adam alone. He then saw Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Gin, and desperately attempted to run to them. "Don't leave, too!"_

_They said nothing, their cold eyes saying more than their lips ever could as they vanished from his life like mirages. Adam screamed in frustrated anguish and punched the nonexistent ground. "Adam, Adam, Adam," a familiar, hated mocking voice called._

_Adam rose to his feet, whirling to face Xaviax. "YOU!" he screamed. "You did this to me! You took away everything good in my life!" He ran at Xaviax, intending to finish him off with his bare hands. Xaviax's response was to revert to his true, inhuman form and telekinetically restrain and choke Adam._

"_I didn't take anything from you," Xaviax denied. "I gave you a choice. You made that choice. It was your decision from the beginning. All I did was show you the way."_

"_You . . . son of . . . a bitch . . ." Adam gasped out._

_Xaviax telekinetically threw Adam aside. "You made the choice. Deal with it. Live with the shame. It'll teach you a valuable lesson . . . traitor."_

* * *

Adam woke up with a gasp and in a cold sweat. "Damn it," he muttered. "Not again."

The fallen Kamen Rider attempted to get through the day normally, but he couldn't think properly; the nightmare of everyone he'd ever cared about abandoning him haunted him too much. As he struggled through the day, something occurred to him.

_There really isn't a change of seasons in this world, is there?_ Adam mused quietly. _It's neither hot nor cold . . . just constantly gloomy. It really _is_ different from Ventara or Earth._

"Adam!" Moka called out to him. "Don't space out now! We still have two days until the school newspaper is printed. It's a lot of work, but let's do our best, ok?"

"Sure, Moka," Adam answered, relaxing somewhat. "I was just distracted for a moment."

It had been two days since Kamen Rider Onyx and Moka had defeated and exposed Hitomi Ishigami. They were now working on the edition of the school paper that would detail the extent of Ishigami's crimes against the student body of Yokai Academy. Fighting might have been one thing, but newspaper publishing was very work-intensive and did not leave very much room for errors or delays if one wanted credibility.

"I can't take this . . ." Kurumu groaned. "It's finally Saturday and we're still in here working!"

Yukari giggled. "We're like a mangaka being chased by a deadline – only we don't get paid!"

"Stop being babies!" Gin shouted. Having caught the four underclassmen's attention, he continued on in a slightly calmer voice. "A newspaper is the same thing as a manga, with strict adherence to deadlines. The incident with Ishigami's gonna be all over the front page, and _that_ was two days ago! If we don't get the story out immediately, nobody respectable will call us a newspaper."

Adam chuckled. "You take this very seriously, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Gin replied. "I'll listen to your damn sob stories after you meet the deadline."

"Then would you please help us out instead of sitting there drinking coffee?!" Moka yelled at him.

Adam smirked. "Well, maybe not as seriously as you should, otherwise you'd be here helping us."

"Is that backtalk I hear coming from you, Adam?" Gin taunted with mock anger.

"He's letting it get to his head just like a manga editor!" Yukari mused aloud.

"You really like manga, don't you?" Adam remarked. "A lot like a friend of mine, you could say."

Suddenly, Adam was embraced enthusiastically by Kurumu, who leaned affectionately on his shoulder. "Well, I don't care what I'm doing so long as I'm with Adam!" she declared.

"Kurumu!" Moka yelled.

"What?" Kurumu asked, pretending there wasn't a problem. Moka simply glared at her, while Adam attempted to remain calm.

"The quarrels are starting again!" Yukari remarked.

"Oh, Moka, Moka," Kurumu teased. "It seems you wanted to steal Adam away from me on his birthday. It's just lucky our unique bond allowed me to sense him being lured into your room and I came to save him! I'll never let you have Adam!" She stuck her tongue out at Moka with this declaration, said declaration troubling Moka more than the tongue.

* * *

As Moka and Kurumu argued over Adam, a figure was sitting in the tree outside the club room and snapping photos of Kurumu. "There you are, my love . . ." he murmured. "So cute . . . I can't take just watching you anymore. I need you in my arms now." He chuckled sinisterly.

This had not gone completely undetected, as Adam chanced a look outside and saw something he really didn't like. "What's wrong, Adam?" Moka asked.

"Somebody's watching us," Adam explained.

"Who'd wanna watch us?" Gin inquired.

"Well, I'll scare him off," Adam said. He took his Advent Deck out of his jacket pocket, opened the window, and threw it right at the tree where Kurumu's mysterious watcher was. By the time the deck made it, though, the watcher was already gone. "Slippery bastard. I'll go pick it up." He climbed out the window and went to retrieve his Advent Deck.

While he was gone, the Newspaper Club's advisor – and teacher to the freshmen in that club – Shizuka Nekonome came in with treats. "Is everyone working hard?" she asked cheerily. "I brought snacks for you all!"

"Nekonome-sensei!" Gin exclaimed.

"Well, the work is continuing, isn't it?" Nekonome pried cheerfully. "Oh, why did I even ask? Of course it is!"

"There are a lot of pages and a lot of cuts, but it's going well!" Moka replied.

"Wait, where's Adam?" Nekonome asked. "Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

"He lost his card deck and had to go find it," Yukari replied. "He'll be back soon!"

"Well, eat the snacks and cheer up!" Nekonome suggested.

Just then, Adam came back in. "Raw fish?" He looked at Nekonome with an "are you crazy?" expression.

"It's more delicious that way!" Nekonome replied as though there was no problem at all, which for her might have been true. "Oh, yeah, Kurumu! This letter came in for you. Someone dropped it off in front of the classroom!"

She handed Kurumu an envelope, and Kurumu looked at it, reading the words, "To my beloved Kurumu – Nagare."

_Love letter? Who's this . . . and why now?_ Kurumu wondered. She opened the envelope, only to find a bunch of sexy pictures of herself. A note came with those pictures, saying, "_If you don't want these pictures to go public, you'll come to the Monster Tree in the main schoolyard. Come alone, or else."_

Kurumu panicked and stuffed the envelope, letter, and pictures inside the club toolbox, hoping to hide them that way. This did not go unnoticed by Adam, who had felt an unnatural stickiness on his Advent Deck when he'd retrieved it. "Kurumu? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Kurumu replied in a high voice. Her laughter was similarly high-pitched. "I just remembered I had something really, really important to do, so I gotta go now! Take care of the rest for me, ok?!" She took off before Adam or Moka could get in a word edgewise.

"Kurumu?" uttered a stunned Moka.

* * *

When Kurumu made it to the Monster Tree, she heard a young man's voice call, "Hey, I've been waiting for you! Guess you got my note and those pictures, huh? Long time, no see, hmm, Kurumu, my sweet?"

Kurumu looked up at the Monster Tree and saw a seemingly unassuming, slightly pudgy young man in loose clothes with his eyes hidden by his hair sitting up on a thick branch of the tree. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing, calling me out here with those dirty pictures?!" she yelled. Then she remembered . . . she'd hidden those same pictures in the club toolbox – and left them there!

The boy climbed down from the Monster Tree, panting once he'd reached the ground from the effort. "I took really cute pictures of you, didn't I? Well, I liked them."

Kurumu noticed that the boy's skin glistened with what was either slime or sweat, and given that she didn't know his monster form, she couldn't quite tell which it was. It frankly gave her the creeps.

"Don't you remember me?" he asked, straightening up with a smile that did nothing to reassure Kurumu. "I'm Nagare Kanou, remember? It was right after we started school."

Kurumu remembered that encounter with Nagare. _"You sure are beautiful, Kurumu! May I take a picture of you?" the admiring boy asked._

"_Really? I guess," Kurumu answered coquettishly. "Maybe I am just that beautiful, but wait! Am I more beautiful than Moka Akashiya?"_

_The flustered Nagare had no clue how to answer. "Umm, you do have bigger breasts than she does!"_

_Kurumu squealed, happy that she beat Moka in at least one respect. "If you take a really pretty picture of me, I'll let you go out with me!"_

"_Really?!" Nagare shouted, beyond exuberant at the idea of going out with someone as beautiful as Kurumu._

Back in reality, Nagare was staring expectantly at a stunned Kurumu. "That meeting was fate, and I've been waiting such a long time since then!"

It had finally caught up with her, Kurumu mused silently. Everything she'd done to compete with Moka for the attention of the boys of Yokai Academy before meeting Adam, the ways she had used her looks to string along those boys, many of whom she had no real interest in . . . was finally catching up with her. What was that thing some people called it? Oh, yes: karma.

"Go on a date with me right now, Kurumu, just like you promised," Nagare commanded, "unless you want those pictures to be shown to the entire school!"

* * *

Back at the Newspaper Club, Adam stared at the door. "Kurumu hasn't come back yet."

"Who needs her, anyway?" Yukari asked. "We have no use for people who run away from their duties."

That stung Adam more than he'd like to admit. It reminded him of what Hunt had said to him when Adam had finally made his commitment to stopping Xaviax along with the other Ventaran Riders. He aimed a fierce glare at Yukari.

"Care to repeat that?" he asked, his voice low and deadly.

"Adam?" Yukari asked. "I just said . . ."

"I know what you just said," Adam cut her off harshly. "For all we know, something bad happened to Kurumu and us staying here and maligning her isn't going to help anything."

"Adam . . ." Yukari murmured sadly, realizing she'd hit a sore spot with her beloved black knight.

"I wonder what Kurumu really thinks of the Newspaper Club," Moka mused, breaking the silence. "She's here because she likes you, Adam, and she totally hated me from the beginning. Maybe . . . she doesn't think of us as friends, after all."

"Even you, Moka?" Adam asked. "Really? Whatever's going on with Kurumu, we're not going to figure it out by acting like she's still the same selfish girl she was when we first met her. So, let's just wait for her to come back and give her some benefit of the doubt, ok?"

There was silence after that, as Nekonome looked upon the group worriedly. On the one hand, she was happy that Adam was sticking up for his friend, but on the other . . . it seemed that the club wasn't as tightly knit as she'd thought. Perhaps that was the trouble of having a club consisting mostly of girls who were all in love with the same boy . . . and that boy himself being in that club.

* * *

Elsewhere, Kurumu's date with Nagare had not turned out as she'd thought. No, she'd ended up in a faux photo shoot dressing up in gym clothes and sexy maid outfits. She'd balked at some of his even more risqué ideas, but Nagare had quickly shut her up by threatening to show those pictures to "her precious knight." The worst part of it all was that she was stuck with him while her friends were all working so hard on the school newspaper.

After twelve changes of clothes, Nagare had let her go, and Kurumu was now on her way back to the Newspaper Club. She could have charmed her way out of the situation, but she didn't want to go back to what she'd been before she met Adam. After he'd spared her life, and even defended her against Moka's unsealed persona, she'd fallen in love with him for real . . . and he made her want to be a better person, to be the kind of person he could love.

_I wonder if everyone's still working hard on the paper,_ Kurumu thought. When she got inside the classroom, she saw everyone there staring at her with foreboding expressions. _Oh, no . . . I'm gonna get yelled at!_

"Welcome back, Kurumu," Adam greeted her. "You're late, but that's fine."

"We're just about to finish work today," Yukari added.

"We've decided to save the rest for tomorrow," Moka interjected, "so you can go if you want, Kurumu."

A stunned Kurumu stood by herself in the classroom. _Too late . . . I'm too late . . ._

Kurumu had once been completely self-absorbed, caught up in her beauty and her power to make men her slaves using her talents as a succubus. She'd never had a real friend before, and at the time it hadn't mattered to her . . . but Adam had shown her the error of her ways, and now Nagare was her punishment for those ways.

"I have to apologize to them . . ." she murmured. She heard a sinister chuckle, and whirled to see none other than Nagare.

"What's wrong, Kurumu?" he asked. "You had fun today, right? Well, let's have some more fun tomorrow!"

"There is no tomorrow!" Kurumu protested. "This was only supposed to be for today!"

"Please don't take that tone with me, sweet Kurumu," Nagare warned. "Unless you'd like me to show those pictures to Adam. I wonder what he'd have to say about them."

"No!" Kurumu exclaimed. "You told me you wouldn't show those to anyone!"

Nagare bared his teeth in an obscene, inhuman grimace. "Then we'll have some more fun tomorrow, now won't we?! Don't think I'll let you go so easily now that I have you!"

"Not tomorrow! Any day but tomorrow!" Kurumu shouted. She started running. "Stop following me!"

Nagare smirked. In her panic, Kurumu had left him all alone . . . with her friends' half-completed newspaper. "Nice," he murmured evilly.

* * *

The next day, the Newspaper Club – sans Kurumu – discovered that their drafts for Monday's paper were missing. "They're gone!" Moka shrieked in horror. "Our drafts . . . everything we worked on yesterday . . . they're gone!"

"That's crazy . . . somebody stole them!?" Gin exclaimed.

"What do we do?" Moka asked. "We can't just start all over again; we'll never finish in time!"

Yukari screamed in horror. "My data was deleted! Everything I stored on my laptop is gone, and so's my backup disk . . . and they even read my diary! And the keyboard's all slimy like there were slugs all over it!"

Adam touched the keyboard and swiped off some of the slime. He stared at it curiously. _Just like the slime on my Advent Deck from when I threw it at that guy in the tree._

He looked at Kurumu, noticing a look of panicked realization settling on her face. Whoever this thief was, she knew him somehow, and he was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

"We don't have time to search for the thief right now!" Gin declared. "We'll just have to start over again from scratch! Doesn't matter if there's nothing much on the pages, just get something done!"

"You guys . . ." Kurumu murmured hesitantly, and Adam looked at her expectantly. "I'm sorry to do this to you at a time like this, but I have to skip club today . . ."

"What's going on, Kurumu?" Moka asked. "Are you really just gonna run out on us when there's trouble?! Don't you think about how anyone else feels?!"

"Moka . . ." Adam murmured, feeling like he'd just been stabbed in the heart.

"I have to go!" Kurumu exclaimed painfully, and began to walk out.

"I thought you'd changed, Kurumu!" a distressed Moka yelled. "But in the end you don't think of us as friends or anything, do you?! If that's how it is, then you can leave . . . and just don't come back!"

* * *

Kurumu left, anyway, her broken heart doing nothing to slow her down as she made her way to the Monster Tree to see Nagare again. After all, despite what Moka and Yukari and Gin and even Adam might think, she wasn't doing this to be selfish. She was doing it to protect them.

"You came," Nagare mocked from his perch in the tree. "I had a feeling you would, Kurumu." He held up the material he'd stolen from the Newspaper Club, the half-finished paper and backup disk. "This is what you were looking for? I don't understand why you'd bother; it's so boring. _I_ could take better pictures than this! I'd rather just burn this like the trash it is!"

Kurumu's fists tightened as her expression darkened with rage. Nagare saw this and simply laughed.

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Nothing, that's what! Not unless you want me to burn this stuff! You want to get it back, you do as I say."

"And if you burn it?" Kurumu asked somberly.

"Hmm?" Nagare asked. "You going to defy me?"

"They may mean nothing to you, but they mean everything to the people I care about!" Kurumu declared. "I'm never going to forgive you for putting your filthy hands on them!"

Nagare chuckled. "Screw it. I'm a monster. I don't need this blackmail nonsense." As he spoke, he began to transform, slime leaking from his pores and protrusions growing from either side of his neck.

* * *

Back in the Newspaper Club, Adam aimed a hard stare at everyone there. "I'm going to find Kurumu, no matter what any of you have to say about it. Unlike _some_ people, I'm not willing to give up on my friends so easily."

"You can't go!" Moka protested. "If you leave, we'll really miss the deadline! Please, let's just stay here and do what we can . . ."

"Except that isn't enough," Adam retorted. "The Newspaper Club means nothing without all of us here." He looked hard into Gin's questioning stare. "This is something that we all created, and we _all_ have to be together in this, or everything we've worked for means nothing."

Moka looked at Adam nervously. _Our relationship should have only deepened on his birthday . . . and yet he defends Kurumu so forcefully. Like . . . like it's her he loves . . ._

"Not to mention . . ." Adam pulled his Advent Deck out and showed it to everyone. "The same slime that's on Yukari's keyboard was on this card deck when I went after someone who was spying on us from outside. And Kurumu looked scared when Yukari mentioned it. I've got the feeling she's in more trouble right now than you realize, and if we don't do what we can to get her out of it . . ."

"You guys, look!" Yukari shouted, bringing over the club toolbox while holding an envelope that read, _"To my beloved Kurumu."_

Adam grimaced when he saw the envelope. He knew now what was going on. He should have connected the dots sooner. Without really thinking about it, he tore out of the classroom, running to find Kurumu before it was too late, before he let down someone else he loved.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurumu was on the run from Nagare, who continued transforming and leaking slime from his body. She'd managed to break away when he groped her breast, but she could feel her strength slipping away quickly, thanks to the poison gas his body was releasing. She found the gym storeroom and slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside for protection.

"So cute!" Nagare mocked. "You think you can hide in there! But there's nowhere you can hide from me!"

To Kurumu's horror, Nagare merely slid under the door, almost literally worming his way through the crack as though his body had no bones whatsoever. "A slug's body can pass through just about anything, even the smallest of cracks! That's what I am!" he declared. "And with this power, I can go anywhere I please, learn anything I want . . ."

Kurumu shuddered in realization. "How many times have you done this sort of thing before?!"

"I lost count," Nagare replied, "but _you,_ my sweet Kurumu, are the best prey I've ever had!"

Just as he reached for Kurumu with his slimy appendages, he heard the outside access being kicked open, revealing Adam in Kamen Rider mode with Moka by his side. "Kurumu!" Kamen Rider Onyx shouted. "We know what happened, and we know you were just trying to protect us! We're not leaving you alone with this bastard!"

"He's right," Moka agreed. "We need you, Kurumu. This Newspaper Club, it's nothing without all of us together!"

The transformed Nagare turned toward Moka and Onyx. "I was going to make you my next target, Moka! How pleasant that I get to have you and Kurumu at the same time!"

"Not in this life, sicko!" Onyx declared, slotting the Sword Vent card into his Visor. Calling his Black Drag Saber to his hand, Onyx moved to attack Nagare, just as Moka collapsed onto her knees. "Moka! What's wrong?"

"Energy . . . leaving my body . . ." Moka replied weakly.

"_Bon appétit!_" Nagare shouted, moving towards Moka ominously.

"No, you don't!" Onyx shouted, attacking Nagare with his sword only for Nagare to prove very slippery, indeed, too slippery to effectively attack the way he was doing now.

"_Leave them alone!"_ Kurumu yelled, her nails growing into talons and her wings sprouting. Her demon aura flared as her eyes glowed, and the Monster Tree suddenly began to attack Nagare, its roots grasping for him.

"What the hell?!" Nagare exclaimed.

"_I'll never forgive you . . . I'll never forgive you for touching Adam and Moka!"_ Kurumu screamed, her outrage fueling the Monster Tree's attack on Nagare.

"What is this?!" Nagare asked, horrified. "Is this . . . is this even real?!"

_So, Kurumu's anger draws out her true power,_ Inner Moka remarked from the rosary around Outer Moka's neck. _Impressive._

With all her might, Kurumu flew at the now-trapped Nagare and slashed him with her talons. Onyx slotted his Final Vent card, summoning Dragblacker, who coiled around the black-armored Kamen Rider.

"I should have done this from the beginning," he said, rising into the air with ominous slowness. He came down for a flying kick powered by the dark flames Dragblacker breathed out, the kick ramming Nagare through the _real_ Monster Tree. "So the tree that attacked him was just an illusion . . ."

_Exactly, Kamen Rider,_ Inner Moka's voice remarked from the rosary. _A succubus's true power lies in casting illusions, and a sufficiently powerful succubus can kill through those illusions alone._

"I got them back!" Kurumu shouted triumphantly, holding up the newspaper drafts and backup disk. "Our newspaper . . . I got it back!"

Gin and Yukari had gotten there just in time to see Adam disengage the Rider armor, an unconscious Nagare that looked surprisingly dry for a slug, and Kurumu holding the newspaper drafts and backup disk. Kurumu looked at them all bashfully.

"May I . . . may I come back to the Newspaper Club?"

"You're always welcome, Kurumu," Adam replied.

"Yeah," Moka agreed. "I know a lot happened and I said some things, but we've got to work together or we'll miss the deadline for sure!"

* * *

The next morning, Nekonome entered the classroom to see if the paper was finished. She found everyone fast asleep, completely exhausted from the effort they'd undertaken the previous day and night. She chanced a look at the newspaper draft and saw that it'd been completed.

"Good job," she murmured softly, trying not to disturb the sleeping students. "Now just leave the rest to your sensei . . ."

As she left, she noticed that Adam's hand was holding Moka's hand, and Kurumu's and Yukari's hands were intertwined with Adam's and Moka's hands. She smiled softly. _You guys are a lot closer than I thought . . . sleep tight._

Next: Another Vampire and Onyx

* * *

End Notes: There you have it; the first part of the "Love Is Pain" arc is complete! As you can guess from the title of the upcoming chapter, Adam is going to be faced with another rival for Moka's affections . . . and this one is a vampire just like Moka! (Or so he claims.) Will Adam and Moka persevere through this latest challenge, or will their relationship crash and burn before it really starts?

And what'll happen when Adam gets yet another suitor . . . one who might be a little more dangerous than she lets on? You guessed it right! It's Mizore Shirayuki, everybody's favorite adorably abominable snowgirl! Thanks to your demands, my beloved readers, she's going to appear here, too! (Granted, sooner than I planned, but I can make it work.)

Enjoy, everybody, and come again for the next ride!


	8. Another Vampire and Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 8: "Another Vampire and Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story and I am only doing this for my own amusement and hopefully that of those who read this.

Author's note: Considering that a lot of things don't quite add up here from the current canon of KRDK, there's going to be an explanation coming for how Adam got the Onyx Advent Deck and found out about Yokai Academy. In the meantime, the "Love Is Pain" arc continues, presenting a rival for Moka's affection that's . . . another vampire, just like Moka. Or is he? Could there be something more sinister to this student than just being in the way of Adam and Moka's budding romance? For the answers to those questions and others, read on!

Let's ride.

_

* * *

_

Kamen Rider Onyx drew his Black Drag Saber and clashed against Kamen Rider Strike's Veno Saber. "Traitor!" Strike accused, slashing him viciously.

"_Yeah . . . you'd know, wouldn't you, Price?" Onyx mocked, slashing him back with an unparalleled brutality._

"_What are you talking about?" Strike asked._

"_You're a snake, you figure it out," Onyx taunted, triggering his Strike Vent and unleashing a blast of black flame to weaken Kamen Rider Strike._

_FINAL VENT._

_FINAL VENT._

_Dragblacker and Venosnaker emerged to back up their contracted Riders. Onyx jumped into the air and threw himself into a flying kick boosted by Dragblacker's flames. Strike flipped backward and jumped off Venosnaker's mouth into a vicious bicycle kick boosted by Venosnaker's acid. The two Rider Kicks impacted against each other with uncanny force, generating a powerful explosion and knocking both Riders down._

_Onyx rose to his feet first, watching as Strike faded into the Advent Void. "Goodbye." He picked up Strike's Advent Deck, the only thing left of him after his trip to the Advent Void, and walked away. "Don't worry, Price; Chance and Hunt will be coming after you soon."_

Adam woke up with a start, his sheets wet with his sweat. "Again . . . son of a bitch . . ."

_You could do it, too,_ Xaviax's specter taunted him. _Just return to Ventara and take them all on. You'd win._

_No, I'd just prove to them that I was the monster they all thought I was,_ Adam retorted.

_And what are you doing here?_ Xaviax asked. _Hiding away waiting for some lucky bastard to kill you? Pathetic. And to think you were my chosen Rider, my ace in the hole._

_And look where that got me,_ Adam snapped.

_Well, you'd better hurry up and get ready for classes,_ Xaviax advised him. _You don't want to be late and disappoint those girls who love you so much, now do you?_

Adam snarled quietly and got out of bed, changing the sheets for what had to be the third time in two weeks and preparing to start another day at Yokai Academy.

_

* * *

_

Student Profile XYZ6666:

_Name: Adam Taylor_

_Age: 17_

_Year: 1_

_Yokai Form: Unknown, presumably draconic_

_Hobby/Specialty: Martial arts, motorcycling_

_Average GPA: 3.16_

_Homeroom: Shizuka Nekonome_

_Notes: Mr. Taylor is a very mysterious student, partly because he refuses to release information beyond the bare minimum required. The most we know that he's told us is that he's a gaijin from a parallel world called Ventara. Upon observation, we've seen that he's a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant with quick reflexes and superb hand-eye coordination, albeit not much better than could be expected from a well-trained human. Of course, since students are forbidden from revealing their true yokai natures, it is entirely possible that he is simply following the rules and limiting himself to avoid breaking those rules._

_His known associates are Moka Akashiya and Kurumu Kurono, both regarded as highly desirable females by the male student body, Yukari Sendo, a young genius, and Ginei Morioka, an upperclassman who heads the Newspaper Club the are all in. The three girls – Miss Akashiya, Miss Kurono, and Miss Sendo – have developed quite the infatuation with Mr. Taylor. It's apparent from how he behaves with them that he reciprocates their feelings to a degree but is afraid of explicating those feelings for fear of causing a rift in their current relationship . . . and for fear of impropriety in Miss Sendo's case._

_Mr. Taylor's personality seems to shift radically depending on the situation at hand. Under ordinary conditions, he is amiable yet distant from most of the student body, preferring to keep to himself and his few associates. Around his associates, he is somewhat more relaxed but still seems to remain guarded when they're near. If angered, usually by a threat to the person of those associates, he becomes extremely violence-prone and is willing to assault upperclassmen and even faculty. We are led to believe that some manner of severe personal trauma is responsible for Mr. Taylor's demeanor, but we are hopeful that his associates can help him recover and become an essential part of the student community._

* * *

"Hey, Adam!" a cheerful girl's voice called. Adam turned, only to see a girl's face very close to his thanks to her neck stretching like taffy. "You don't look so well! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Adam replied.

"Your neck's stretching!" another girl called out to the girl talking to Adam, albeit with a froglike face sticking out of the back of her head.

A girl with webbed hands shouted, "That won't do! You know the school rules say we have to stay in human form at all times!"

_You're ones to talk,_ Adam thought sardonically. _Heh, look at me, a human in a school for monsters. Not that I've got room to complain._

"What's wrong, Adam?" the girl with the elastic neck asked.

"Nothing," Adam replied as convincingly as he could.

"Morning, Adam!" a lovely female voice called out to the fallen Kamen Rider, who turned to see Moka Akashiya coming his way. As soon as she'd come into the midst of the student body, the boys erupted into a flurry of lovesick adulation. Of course, it wasn't just the _boys_ that were enthralled; quite a few girls seemed taken by Moka's beauty as well.

Adam smiled, feeling his day beginning to improve already just from Moka's presence. "Morning, Moka. Lovely as ever, I see."

Moka blushed, but offered her arm for Adam to take. As they walked to school together, arm in arm, Adam thought to himself, _If it wasn't for her, I'd have let myself be killed a long time ago. She . . . she makes me want to live, even though I'm just a filthy traitor. I have to let her know, let her know the way I feel . . ._

"Adam?" Moka asked.

"Thank you, Moka," Adam replied. "I'm finally getting used to being here, and I have you to thank for that. Even though you know what I really am, you've still helped me, been there for me, watched my back . . . I don't think there's a way to pay you back that'd be good enough to show you how much . . ."

"Thank you, Adam," Moka answered. "You've shown me that not all humans are cruel, and you've helped me . . . more than you realize, my knight."

As they spoke to each other, they drifted closer together, so close that their faces were very near . . . and their lips, even nearer. But it wasn't Adam's lips Moka was going for, much to Adam's slight disappointment. It was his _neck._ Well, she _was_ a vampire, and she did have to drink.

Adam didn't mind so much. A little pinch as her fangs broke skin, and then a warm, almost melting feeling throughout his body as she drank from him. He bit his lip to keep from making any odd sounds that would make her think he was in pain, when the truth was that he was feeling the very opposite of pain.

"The sweetness, the density . . . together, they make your blood absolutely perfect . . ." Moka murmured.

"That's the weirdest compliment I've ever gotten, but I'll take it," Adam quipped, despite feeling drained.

"Your blood is still the tastiest I've ever had!" Moka rejoiced.

"Thanks," Adam answered with a sardonic smile, but the smile faded as he got a strange shiver down his spine, like they were being watched by someone. _Not this again. Another stalker? I should just take care of this right now . . . but I gotta get to class._

_Well, you _could_ be proactive for once and skip class,_ Xaviax offered. _It won't take long for you to find this stalker and do him in for daring to eye your woman in such a fashion._

_It's not about that,_ Adam snapped. _Stalkers are dangerous. They're obsessed, disturbed individuals who'll ultimately turn on the object of their "affection" if spurned . . . and frankly, they don't do anything _not_ spurn-worthy._

_Whatever,_ Xaviax scoffed. _Justify it however you like._

* * *

Once again, Adam and Moka met with Kurumu and Yukari for the Newspaper Club after classes were over with. Kurumu was not pleased when she saw the bruise on Adam's neck where Moka had bitten him.

"Moka!" she shouted accusingly. "You sucked Adam's blood _again?!_"

"How did you know?" a high-spirited Moka asked.

"Because he's my Destined One, and if you touch him like that again, I'll kill you!" Kurumu threatened. She leaped across the table and pulled Adam's head into her bountiful bosom as she embraced him. "My poor darling, so tortured by that fiend Moka! If it was me, I'd treat you so well . . . embrace you just like this . . ."

Meanwhile, Adam thanked Kamen Rider training for his ability to hold his breath for long periods of time. Granted, it wasn't going to save him forever, but it did buy him time to figure out a way of gently letting Kurumu know that he wasn't some damsel in distress who needed saving from the "wicked vampire." Shamefully, he had to admit to himself that it also bought him time to appreciate the feel of Kurumu's chest.

_At least you're honest with yourself,_ Xaviax jibed. _Hey, maybe you can stay here and figure out a way to marry them both!_

_I'm not a big fan of polygamy,_ Adam thought.

_You'll learn to love it,_ Xaviax rejoined. _Especially when you have your own harem of sexy yokai women, ready to tend to your every need and desire! You'll live like a king!_

_I recall you offering your Riders the same thing,_ Adam snapped back. _They all ended up vented, remember?_

_Trivial details,_ Xaviax scoffed.

As Adam and "Xaviax" argued inside Adam's head, Adam's hand was unconsciously gripping Kurumu's breast. "Ahhh . . . yes . . . yes, Adam . . . but you really need to be a little gentler when touching a girl's breasts . . ."

His warning sense, the one all Kamen Riders developed over years of fighting against deadly creatures, alerted him to a heavy object coming at him very quickly. With a shove, he knocked Kurumu out of the way of said heavy object and flipped backward to avoid it himself. Yukari immediately ran to Adam's side, blocking Kurumu from getting to him.

"What do you think you're doing, you big-breasted cow?!" Yukari asked. "He's weak enough as is! Are you _trying_ to kill him?!" She winked mischievously at Kurumu. "Rather than let you steal him away, leave Adam to _me._"

"Children should step aside!" Kurumu declared, groping Yukari's (rather flat) chest from behind. "Be a part of the flat background, you flat-chested brat!"

A fight quickly ensued between Kurumu and Yukari, in which Yukari's clothes were partly torn off to reveal a training bra. "This is completely insane . . ." Adam muttered, trying his best not to look and yet unable not to look. _Like a freaking train wreck._

_Yes . . . a sexy train wreck,_ Xaviax taunted.

_What the hell?!_ Adam yelled internally.

_Just saying what you were thinking,_ Xaviax responded. _Besides, when Yukari fully blossoms, you can be the first one to claim her!_

_You're sick,_ Adam snarled. Letting his anger at Xaviax's taunts give him resolve, Adam dived into the fray and managed to separate Yukari and Kurumu from each other. "That's enough. Look, I'm fine, as you can all see for yourselves. Sucking blood is a natural thing for Moka, and I'm fine with that."

"Does that mean you willfully allow a vampire to drink from you?" a smooth male voice asked from the doorway. "What a brave soul you are. I'd like to know if you truly like her."

Everyone turned to see a handsome young man with dark-streaked pale hair, wearing just a dress shirt with the top buttons undone and the standard uniform pants, standing in the doorway. "Who are you?" Adam asked, immediately suspicious.

"It's regrettable, especially if you do truly like her, but the vampire race is very particular about its rules," the young man answered, evading the question entirely. "'Do not turn rogue.' 'Do not drink the blood of the dead.' And one more rule, of course . . . when it comes to choosing a mate."

"What are you talking about?" Adam interrogated.

"I'm saying, no matter how much you like dear Moka, you'll never be able to be with her," the young man replied with a smug smirk.

"Wait a minute . . . are you . . . ?" Moka asked.

"A vampire, just like you," the young man replied. "I'm Junya Inui, a second-year student."

* * *

After club activities were finished, Junya walked Moka back to her dorm, wanting to get to know her better, or so he claimed. "I'm sorry for being so impolite before," he said. "I saw you sucking blood earlier today, that's why I came looking for you specifically. You're a little weird, though . . . never seen a vampire wear a rosary."

"I _am_ a vampire," Moka admitted, "but I wear my rosary to restrain my powers . . . and I haven't seen a vampire anywhere outside my own family before."

"Of course," Junya answered. "We have to guard ourselves from those who fear our power and would destroy us all because of that fear. That's why . . . I've never had real friends before. I'm hoping you can change that, Moka."

_This man . . . he's . . . a lot like me,_ Moka mused internally.

"And I can't be among humans, either, because the vampire hunters would get me, sooner or later," Junya went on. "Even if they weren't the ones to kill me, I would be driven out regardless due to it being too dangerous for _anyone_ but another vampire to be around me."

* * *

Meanwhile, Adam, Kurumu, and Yukari had followed Moka and Junya and were now listening in from a hidden spot nearby. As threatened as Adam felt by Junya, he'd wanted to respect Moka's privacy and not intrude. Yukari had had other ideas, and given that those ideas were dangerously similar to his, in one manner of speaking, he'd had no choice but to cooperate. Kurumu was just along for the ride out of loyalty to Adam.

"If they carry on and become a couple . . ." Kurumu thought aloud.

"Nooo!" Yukari moaned, clinging tightly to Adam. "That can't happen! Think of something, Adam!"

"It's Moka's choice, Yukari," Adam responded with a calm he didn't actually feel. "I can't force her to stay with me . . ."

"Vampire's rule . . . it's just a rumor, but . . ." Yukari mused.

"That rule he was talking about before," Adam cut in. "What is it? What do you know about it?"

"Yeah, I'm curious, too!" Kurumu joined in.

"I dunno . . . wait, what are you doing, Kurumu?!" Yukari asked.

The next thing poor Yukari knew, she'd been tied up _shibari-_style and was now dangling from the tree. "I've never seen someone tied up like that," Adam mused aloud.

"It's called _shibari,_" Kurumu replied. She was about to explain it, but Adam held up a hand to stop her.

"I want to know about this rule."

"Well, vampires are a very proud race," Yukari explained. "They value their strength above all else, and most of them believe that their strength is tied to the purity of their blood, so dating – let alone _marrying_ – outside the race is a big no-no. Children born from unions between vampires and humans are called 'dhampirs,' and are looked down on by full-blooded vampires. Of course, if the stories are true, many of those dhampirs are also rejected by humans and become reclusive assassins using the power within their vampire side to fight and kill yokai, particularly full vampires, as a kind of revenge for their 'cursed birth.'"

_Well, isn't that a kick?_ Xaviax mocked. _The girl who gave you the will to live . . . you can't even touch her, let alone marry her, since her family will cast her out for having anything to do with you – assuming they don't just tear you to shreds._

_You come here to gloat?_ Adam asked sourly.

_No, I'm here to advise you,_ Xaviax amended. _I'm here to remind you that in the end, all you have is yourself . . . and me, of course._

* * *

One week later, Adam watched somberly as Moka and Junya walked the halls of Yokai Academy together, like he and they had been doing for the past several days. _Maybe it's for the best,_ he mused grimly._ Moka deserves someone better than me, and if it's another vampire, that's even better. At least, she'll have someone she can relate to, someone who shares her past and true nature._

Not quite unbeknownst to him, he was being watched by Kurumu and Yukari. He knew they were watching him; he just didn't give enough of a damn to go confront them about it. As he focused his attentions on Moka and Junya, Yukari and Kurumu chattered with each other about the present situation.

"Adam seems down, don't you think?" Yukari mused.

"It's to be expected, what with Moka ditching him for Inui," Kurumu replied. "She doesn't even come to the Newspaper Club anymore."

"You don't find it weird?" Yukari asked. "I've been digging up as much dirt as I can find on this guy, and he's an infamous playboy from what I've heard. For all his talk of 'rules,' he doesn't follow them from what I can see. I don't get what Moka sees in him."

"They're both vampires, that's what she sees in him," Kurumu responded airily. "Of course, this does present an excellent opportunity for me, one that I would be a fool not to seize! Adam Taylor, you are mine!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Moka and Junya had gone outside to have a drink of tomato juice together. "Why do you seem so dazed?" Junya asked. "Aren't you happy to be with me?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to . . ." Moka replied, trailing off just as Junya flashed over to take her in his arms and lean in for a kiss. "What are you doing, Junya? Wait!"

"Why should we wait?" Junya asked, softly yet with an undercurrent of danger. "We're two of the same kind. It's only natural for us to be together, unless there's someone else you want. Someone like, maybe, Adam Taylor?"

"No . . ." Moka denied. "It's not . . . He and I . . ."

"'He and I' what, Moka?" Adam murmured, having followed Moka and Junya outside long enough to overhear them.

"Adam!" Moka exclaimed in astonishment (and was that joy?).

Junya chuckled quietly. "Just as expected. You're unable to cast him aside like the trash that he is. Very well. I'll just have to terminate him, and maybe then you'll get over your longing for him."

"Terminate me, huh?" Adam repeated with a smirk. "Come on. Let's see what you're made of."

"It's your life, fool," Junya retorted. In a flash, he had Adam in a chokehold and used his grip to slam him into a gravestone. "Here's a lesson for you. You're not a vampire, so it's a fool's dream to think you can be with one. And even if she _did_ reciprocate, as she seems to, loving someone like you means death for the both of you. Understand? If you really love Moka as much as you seem to, you'll let her go – for her sake, if not yours."

It wasn't Junya's grip on his throat or the throbbing of his head from his forced contact with the gravestone that hurt. It was his words. Could he be so selfish? Could he demand that Moka choose him over Junya, despite knowing the consequences for her? Could he damn her to death the way he'd damned all of Ventara to the hell of slavery under Xaviax's heel for his own selfish desires?

_No . . . I can't . . . not again,_ Adam thought.

"I see you _do_ understand," Junya remarked, releasing Adam from his grip. "Smart boy."

Adam got up, looking at Moka one last time, and then ran as far as he could, letting the pain in his heart give him the energy to run. When he slowed down, he felt a soft hand grip his wrist, and he turned to see Kurumu facing him, a sad yet determined look on her face. "Kurumu . . ."

Kurumu moved closer to Adam. _Don't you see, my knight? There is no way for you to be with Moka, so please, take me. Be with me, forever. _"Adam . . ." she whispered, close enough now to kiss him. However, it was Adam who closed the distance, capturing Kurumu's lips with his own.

* * *

Meanwhile, an irate Junya, denied his chance to kill his rival for Moka's love, shoved Moka to the ground as he transformed, his body growing in musculature as his veins became visible . . . and some even bulged inhumanly. "Is that all it takes to fell you?" he asked. "A small push? Some vampire you are."

"Junya, you don't have to go this far," Moka pleaded. "Adam and I no longer have any ties! You can ignore him!"

"That the truth?" Junya interrogated mockingly. "If so, stand aside!"

Just as he was about to attack her, something tackled Moka out of harm's way, something that was almost a black shadow. Moka looked to her savior . . . and saw Kamen Rider Onyx. "Adam?! What are you doing here?"

Onyx smiled under his mask as he remembered Kurumu pushing him away after their kiss and hitting him with her own head. _"I won't have Moka's scraps!"_ she'd declared. _"I'll win you, Adam Taylor, but I'll win you because you truly love me, not because you can't have Moka! I won't be a consolation prize!"_

Adam had been speechless, touched by Kurumu's compassion for him . . . and her loyalty to Moka. Despite the fact that the two girls were supposedly rivals for his love, Kurumu's honor wouldn't allow her to take advantage of his broken heart. His estimation of the succubus had gone up quite a few notches.

Back in reality, Onyx glared at Junya. "You want to kill me for breaking your precious rules? Fine. But you won't get my death without working for it. My feelings for Moka won't change, and if anyone tries to kill her for loving me . . . or me for loving her . . . I'll kill them all. Any who stand between Moka and I _will be crushed._"

"I take back what I said about you being smart," Junya commented. "It seems you have a death wish. Allow me to grant it!" He lunged at Onyx, but Onyx managed to react fast enough to grab Junya's outstretched arm and toss him into a gravestone. Infuriated, Junya went after him again, this time fast enough to grab Onyx and slam him into another gravestone.

Just as Onyx started to get up, Junya grabbed the back of Onyx's mask and slammed it into the rubble of the gravestone. Onyx retaliated by elbowing Junya hard enough to knock him back, and then got to his feet and twisted to kick his opponent in the stomach. Junya responded with a vicious strike that would have made Adam's ribcage implode if not for the armor around his chest.

"Stop it!" Moka yelled at Junya. "We had an agreement! I'll be true to you . . . and so long as I am, you won't hurt Adam!"

Junya and Onyx both turned to her, Junya more startled than Onyx was, as Moka continued. "I _was_ a solitary creature once. But that was before Adam came into my life . . . he was the first true friend I ever made . . . and he's become more precious to me, in all this time we've been together, than just a friend! I don't care if you're a vampire like me; hurting Adam is unforgivable in my eyes!"

Onyx smiled beneath his mask, kicking himself for being so stupid. Moka hadn't been with Junya because she'd chosen him over Onyx; she'd been with him to _protect_ the one she really loved, the one she really held in her heart. "Hear that?" he taunted Junya. "She was _never_ yours."

Just as Junya was about to attack Onyx out of pure jealous outrage, Onyx reacted faster, slotting an Advent Card into his Visor brace.

_STRIKE VENT._

Immediately, the Black Drag Claw attached itself to Onyx's right hand, and Dragblacker emerged from the shadows to breathe a blast of black fire on Onyx's command. The blast of dark flame engulfed Junya . . . but he was tough enough to simply charge through it and punch Onyx in the chest again. Despite the armoring, the blow stung somewhat, but not nearly as much as it should have.

"Solitary?" Junya repeated scornfully. "That's just a line for picking up chicks! You're mine, Moka Akashiya, and if I have to kill this fool who thinks a suit of armor and a pet dragon's gonna save him from me, I will!"

Onyx laughed mockingly, almost psychotically, as he strode over to Moka. "You're a riot a minute, you know that? You're no vampire . . . if you were, I'd be a little worse off than I am right now, armor or no armor. Vampires are much more elegant than you, especially the one I'm proud to call the person I hold dear." He snatched the rosary off Moka's neck, smiling almost demoniacally behind his mask. "Come on out, and show this poser what a _real_ vampire is."

_What the hell!?_ Junya uttered, stunned at the intensity of the demonic aura Moka was giving off. _Her hair is turning silver . . . her eyes are becoming red . . . her body is even more delicious than before! Is this her real power!? Is this her true self?!_

"An onimodoki . . . that's what you are, isn't it?" the unsealed Moka deduced haughtily. "Like how a bug imitates a wasp's colors to appear more dangerous than it actually is, so you emulate stronger demons to bully weaker ones, even though you're no better."

"You dare call me a fake?!" Junya screamed as he rushed at Moka and Onyx. "You call this strength false?!"

"A vampire's power is not what you think it is," Inner Moka replied coolly, grabbing Junya by his distended collarbone and lifting him into the air. "It does not come from mere muscle. It is the very _essence_ of a vampire channeled into strength." She dropped Junya disdainfully. "You want to give it a try now?"

As Junya rose to his feet, ready to attack again, Onyx slotted another card into his Visor brace.

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker coiled around Onyx, the dark energy it was leaking out lifting him into the air and paralyzing Junya. Inner Moka looked up at Kamen Rider Onyx and smirked as she jumped into the air after him, throwing herself into a flying kick as Onyx came down with his own flying kick boosted by Dragblacker's flames. The two kicks impacted Junya with enough force to crack, if not break, multiple ribs and maybe put some unhealthy pressure on his more sensitive organs.

"Know your place, you posturing piece of trash," Inner Moka sneered. She turned to the still-transformed Adam. "You're more impressive than I thought, being able to figure out that this punk wasn't the real deal, so I'll give you a reward. That rule he mentioned is obsolete. No one follows it anymore. Dhampirs are just bitter little children who can't come to terms with what they are."

"Does that mean . . . ?" Adam wondered, daring himself to hope.

"No," Inner Moka replied with a languid smirk. "It's my outer self who's fallen for you. _I_ don't feel a thing where you're concerned except gratitude that she has a playmate. Know your place, Kamen Rider." She chortled like a noblewoman, as though something had amused her. "If this arrangement is to continue, though . . . _keep your lips off Kurumu's._ I won't have my outer self falling for someone who turns to other women for comfort."

Adam blushed with shame beneath his mask. _Wow . . . she's got a really good nose._

_Yeah, she does, doesn't she?_ Xaviax taunted him.

_Shut up,_ Adam retorted. _You can't ruin this for me. Not this time._

_Who says I'm trying to ruin anything?_ Xaviax asked with mock innocence. _Just looking out for my best investment . . ._

* * *

The next morning went on like normal, with Adam, Moka, and Yukari all heading to class together. "I get it now," Adam said. "He pretends to be the same kind of yokai to cozy up to girls, and when he's gotten what he wants from them . . ."

"Yeah," Yukari confirmed. "Lots of girls were hurt because of him! He's an enemy to women everywhere! But big sister Moka rescued us all from him!"

"Actually, I'm . . ." Moka started to say, but Yukari clung to her lovingly.

"Guess it's all over, then," Adam mused. "Back to normal . . ."

"This isn't over yet!" Kurumu declared from behind them, causing everyone to turn and see her with a giant squirt gun in her hands and a sword strapped to her back.

"What the hell?!" Adam exclaimed. "Kurumu! You said you'd have me only when I genuinely loved you! What the hell is this?!"

"You love Moka because she's strong when she's unsealed!" Kurumu declared. "But if I defeat Moka and prove my strength to you, you'll love me more!"

"Oh, _hell_ no . . ." Adam murmured. _What the hell was I talking about normal for? This isn't normal! This isn't even sane!_ "Moka, Yukari, run! I'll handle Kurumu!"

"Oh, you'll _handle_ me, all right," Kurumu purred mischievously.

As occupied as Adam was with trying to keep Kurumu from going after Moka with a loaded squirt gun and a sword, he didn't notice the lavender-haired girl sitting in a tree watching their battle – and looking on Adam with particular interest.

"Adam . . ." she murmured his name, a placid face paired with a dreamy sigh.

Next: Dragon in the Snow.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it; the second chapter of the "Love Is Pain" arc is finished! Now, we will be going into the third part of this storyline, which will be split into two parts due to how it went over in the manga. Mizore will show up early like in the anime, but the story's going to happen a lot like the manga. Also, the student profile of Adam that I inserted near the beginning of the story is going to be important later on, in the sense that he _is_ being carefully monitored, but by whom I won't say yet.

In the meantime, it seems Adam's finally clear about who he wants to be with, but with Inner Moka being much more ambiguous in her feelings, and with that fateful kiss Adam and Kurumu shared, not to mention Mizore popping her beautiful snowy head out . . . there might still be trouble in paradise for Adam and Moka. Of course, the even greater trouble is the fact that his past is still haunting him and he still hasn't told anyone the truth of what he is, not even Moka! Will this come back to bite him in the rear? Of course it will, but when and how? That's gonna be the fun part!

Till next time, faithful readers. Let's ride!


	9. Dragon in the Snow

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 9: "Dragon in the Snow"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness Entertainment, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story, and my only compensation is the knowledge that someone has read this.

Author's note: Because you demanded it, my beloved readers, Mizore Shirayuki is coming! She's coming! Everybody, hurry! Get ready! Mizore's coming!

Seriously, y'all, she's going to show up in this chapter, even though you've already gotten a nice sneak peek at her as of the last chapter. This, however, is the chapter where she appears in full color . . . in a manner of speaking. She's a lonely snow girl with a serious crush on our resident anti-hero Kamen Rider Onyx, but she's quite nice, right? Well, we'll see. We'll see.

Credit for the dream sequence here belongs to my good man Kamen Rider Chrome. He's been a real help thus far. Thanks, man!

_

* * *

_

Kamen Rider Dragon Knight was fighting a bombardment of Zelles that just wouldn't stop. One of them knocked his Drag Saber out of his hands, while another kicked him to the ground, and more began to stomp on him.

"_Help!" he screamed. "I can't do this alone!"_

"_Help?" Kamen Rider Wing Knight's voice repeated coldly. "Why should I help you, traitor?"_

"_Len, please!" Dragon Knight screamed. "I can't . . . I can't do this by myself!"_

"_You should have thought of that before selling out Ventara," Kamen Rider Siren sneered, standing beside Wing Knight._

"_No . . . Kase, please!" Dragon Knight pleaded._

"_You're a disgrace to that armor," Siren spat._

"_Which is why _I'm_ Dragon Knight now," a mirror image of Dragon Knight added, standing beside Wing Knight, Siren, and the other Kamen Riders._

"_Kit . . ." Dragon Knight uttered in horror, only to look down and see that his armor had turned black. He was Kamen Rider Onyx now, the dark Rider, the fallen hero. Rage rose, crested in his heart. "Fine! I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOU!"_

STRIKE VENT.

_Dragblacker's flames incinerated the Zelles . . . and attacked the Riders that had turned their backs on Onyx. Triggering his Final Vent, Onyx rose to join Dragblacker, his Advent Beast's flames boosting the kick he used to put every last Rider out of his misery._

"_Goodbye . . . 'friends,'" Onyx sneered._

This time, Adam woke up screaming, "_No!!!_" He paused to catch his breath. "Damn you . . . no . . ."

_Bad dreams again, Adam?_ Xaviax's specter asked in mock concern.

_Go to hell,_ Adam snarled.

_Been there, done that,_ Xaviax replied. _Your head's so much nicer. So full of fear and doubt and insecurity and self-hatred . . . it tastes good._

_I repeat, "Go to hell,"_ Adam thought.

_This _is_ hell,_ Xaviax answered. _Being inside your head, with all that torment and hatred and rage . . . this is what hell's made of._

Adam threw the sheets off the bed, exposing that he was only wearing a pair of lounging pants to sleep. His bare skin glistened with sweat, and he ran his hands through his hair in a futile attempt to calm himself. He went to the bathroom so he could take a hot shower to take his mind off the nightmare . . . but the warmth of the water cascading on him just made him think of the warmth in his veins whenever Moka drank from him.

How did she really feel about him? He knew her outer self loved him, but her inner self just seemed to tolerate him, and barely sometimes. He smiled ironically, as the two Mokas reminded him of the two women he'd loved . . . and lost. The Outer Moka made him think of Sarah, gentle beauty and sweet light, while the Inner Moka made him think of Kase, hard edges and cool beauty . . . but with a hidden tenderness.

Kurumu and Yukari were far more obvious about their feelings, in ways that made him blush with shame . . . and want. Being a Kamen Rider had denied him the chance to experience love, especially some of the more physical aspects of it, so he was rather unaccustomed to how the two girls threw themselves at him. Still, they were good friends, and if not for the fact that he was half-certain it was Moka – Outer or Inner – that he truly wanted, he might have taken Kurumu up on her intimate offers.

His face flushed with shame as he remembered that he very nearly had. In his despair over Moka seemingly choosing Junya over him – and the presumption that she would have been dead if she chose _him_ instead – he'd kissed Kurumu. The truly sad thing was that he'd felt Kurumu respond for a few precious seconds, and then force him away from her. She very clearly wanted him, but she wasn't willing to betray Moka to claim him, despite her insistence that Moka was simply her rival for his love.

_Ah, the heart is a fragile and fickle thing,_ Xaviax remarked. _Especially when you're a frustrated virgin._

_Shut up,_ Adam growled internally.

_What can I say? I know where people hurt, where they hunger . . . it's not my fault you hurt and hunger so much,_ Xaviax rejoined. _You're the one who made the choice._

_You're the one who attacked our world in the first place!_ Adam shot back.

_Details, details,_ Xaviax answered breezily. _Now, hurry up and get ready for school. You don't want to be late, do you? You might not get your daily suck job from Moka!_

_You depraved son of a bitch!_ Adam silently cursed Xaviax.

_Oh, I'm the depraved one? You're the one who's enjoying her sucking your blood even more than she does,_ Xaviax retorted.

_I'm not listening to you,_ Adam growled. _I know where that leads._

* * *

After getting dressed in his school uniform, albeit with the uniform jacket replaced with his own black jacket, Adam went on his way to class, only to find Moka following him. "Adam . . ." her breathy voice greeted him. "I want . . . I want yours . . . please."

Adam turned to Moka and let her come closer. "Sure, Moka."

The shameful pleasure of Moka's bite surged through Adam's veins, and he prayed she didn't notice the physical evidence of his pleasure. Barely managing to control himself enough to bite his lip and thus muffle any odd noises he might have made, he patiently waited for Moka to finish, while part of him hoped she never would. It was a vain hope, though; he still needed a certain minimum amount of his blood to live, after all.

This was not greeted very well by Kurumu, who bopped Moka on the head when she saw the bruise on Adam's neck where Moka had bit him. "Again, Moka?! Don't you have _any_ self-control?! If Adam dies from blood loss, I'm going to kill you!"

"Sorry, sorry . . ." Moka murmured. "I was thirsty . . ."

"Look, I'm fine," Adam said. "I don't mind Moka sucking my blood. Besides, we've got papers to pass out today, remember?"

* * *

Thus, Adam and the girls met at the newspaper stand and began passing out the paper they'd made. Most of the boys who came for the paper came largely to adore Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari, while many of the girls who came for the paper came partly to see Adam. By the end of it, they were almost out of papers.

"So this was another hit!" Kurumu rejoiced.

"Our hard work has paid off!" Yukari announced.

Moka seemed contemplative for a moment, and then she brightened up. "Hey, how about we go and celebrate? Have a party in honor of our success!"

"Great idea, Moka," Adam replied.

"I wanna go, too!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Party, huh?" Kurumu remarked. "We can hold it after school."

"What about Gin?" Adam asked. "I mean, he's part of the club, too."

"Forget about him!" Kurumu replied. "He's probably off flirting with other women as we're speaking!"

"I can drink sake, too!" Yukari interjected.

"If sake's what I think it is, no, you can't," Adam insisted. "And I won't, either."

"You guys are weird . . ." a toneless, almost emotionless female voice greeted. The Newspaper Club turned to see a beautiful pale girl with oceanic blue eyes and long, messy purple hair. The girl wore a white sweatshirt with navy blue sleeves that was so loose it exposed the straps of a black tank top she wore underneath and the standard uniform skirt, plus striped thigh-high socks and a belt connecting those socks to her skirt. Even more unusually, she seemed to have a lollipop in her mouth. "You get along so well. I don't really understand it."

She came particularly close to Adam, right within kissing distance . . . and her eyes stared deeply into his. She took the lollipop out of her mouth, her expression brightening and a trace of emotion entering her tone. "So you're Adam. You're even cuter close up."

"Thanks," Adam replied, trying his best to stay cool. "I have one more copy . . . if you want . . ."

"I'll take it," the girl said, reaching into Adam's jacket pocket and taking the last copy of the school paper.

"Who was that?" Moka asked jealously.

"I don't know," Adam admitted.

"I wonder what she came here for," Kurumu murmured.

"Well, anyway, we can still have our party after school!" Moka declared, changing the subject.

* * *

When they got to class, Adam got a surprise, namely the lavender-haired girl being in that class. "Miss Shirayuki!" Nekonome-sensei called. "It's nice to see you here!"

Shirayuki didn't acknowledge Nekonome-sensei in words, per se, but she did look up at her for a moment. Adam looked at her curiously. _That's her name?_

When lunchtime came around, Adam walked out of the classroom, having felt a strange chill all session. He was being watched, that much he knew, and he had the feeling he knew who was watching him. It was Shirayuki, the new girl. Yukari seemed to know a lot about the student body of Yokai Academy, so he was going to ask her if she knew anything about Shirayuki the first chance he got.

Of course, Moka had to interrupt him. "Hey, why don't we go buy the snacks and supplies for the party?"

"Sure, but I gotta ask Yukari about something first," Adam replied. "I'll meet you there, ok?"

"Sure, Adam," Moka replied, and left. Just as Adam was about to go find Yukari, he was interrupted by Shirayuki.

"Are you following me?" Adam asked suspiciously.

"I read the newspaper that you passed out while we were in homeroom," Shirayuki replied. "Just as expected, your articles are very good." She smiled at Adam, removing the lollipop from her mouth again. "My name is Mizore Shirayuki. You're my favorite."

Meanwhile, Moka was in the campus store buying snacks for the afterschool party for the Newspaper Club. _I wonder what Adam had to talk to Yukari about . . ._

Just then, she heard Adam's voice, sounding slightly strained. "I can walk myself, Mizore . . ."

Moka turned around and saw Adam heading her way, albeit being dragged by Mizore. _It's Adam . . . and that girl from before . . ._

"I wasn't able to come for most of this semester," Mizore admitted to Adam. "Mostly because I have a hard time getting along with people, but Nekonome-sensei always made sure to bring me a copy of your paper. I'm your . . . your biggest fan." She pulled out something that looked like a scrapbook. "Look at this. I made it out of all of your articles."

Adam read the scrapbook, seeing that indeed it did consist pretty much entirely of his articles. "I like your work." He looked closer, and saw that the articles were riddled with lots and lots of commentary from Mizore.

"I wrote a lot about what I thought of your articles," Mizore admitted. "I really like them. They're always written from the viewpoint of an outsider, of someone who feels like they don't fit in. I can relate to that. You and I are a lot alike, aren't we? You feel alone, too . . . I can tell."

"Mizore . . ." Adam uttered, unsure of what exactly to say.

* * *

After school, Kurumu and Yukari were on their way together to prepare for the afterschool party for the Newspaper Club. The subject of Mizore had come up during their conversation. "Stalker?" Kurumu asked.

"Yeah, it seems that another girl is chasing Adam . . . and she's in his class, too," Yukari explained. "It's really kinda creepy, like that girl at the end of last year who told a teacher she loved him . . . and when he didn't reciprocate, she froze him in ice!"

"Let's forget about that right now!" Kurumu suggested. "Check this out!" She displayed a platter of cookies she'd specially baked. "These are for Adam! They're full of love potion, and when he eats them, he'll be crazy for me!"

"Wow . . . you're even more ruthless than a stalker!" Yukari observed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adam and Mizore were by the lake throwing stones and trying to get them to skip across the lake's surface before they sank. Mizore's stone had managed to do it nine times. "Nine times!" she rejoiced. "It hopped nine times! Did you see it, Adam?"

"Yeah," Adam replied. "Pretty cool, Mizore." As much as he wanted to spend time with this girl – she seemed pretty hard-up for company – he had somewhere he needed to be. "Um, I hate to cut this short, but there's somewhere I have to be. You mind if we do this again tomorrow?"

Mizore hugged Adam from behind. "No . . . It's your turn now, Adam."

"Sure," Adam answered with an ease he didn't really feel. He picked up a stone and thought to himself, _All about coordination, right?_ He threw the stone, while Mizore was still holding on to him, and it hopped eight times before it sank.

"You're pretty good for someone who hasn't done this before," Mizore remarked.

"Actually, I have," Adam admitted. "There was this girl, Sarah . . . she and I were . . . close. It was one of her favorite ways of unwinding after a hard day. She showed me how."

He felt Mizore stiffen behind him. "Do you want to go to where Moka Akashiya is?" she asked, her voice once again going emotionless. "Don't go, Adam. If you do, I don't know what I'll do to that girl. No . . . it might be too late already, because I don't like her."

Adam got the chills, and he pulled away from Mizore. "What are you saying?"

_You idiot, you know exactly what she's saying,_ he scolded himself. _She's going to kill Moka!_

It felt cold, so very cold . . . "Mizore?"

"You . . . will be mine . . . only mine . . ." Mizore murmured, as ice began to cover her skin.

* * *

Back in the clubroom, Moka came to, noticing that Adam still hadn't shown up yet. _Is he still with Mizore?_ Moka wondered. Then she heard the door open. "Adam!" she called out joyfully, turning to see him . . . only to find Mizore Shirayuki there.

"Sorry . . . even if you wait, he will not come," she said.

"You . . ." Moka stammered.

"You, during lunch, next to the campus store, you were watching us, Moka Akashiya," Mizore went on. "Can I ask you a question? What are you, to Adam?"

The next thing Moka knew, Mizore had pinned her to the desk and was now strangling her. "What are you doing?!" Moka asked, terrified.

"You're an eyesore," Mizore replied tonelessly. "If you weren't around, Adam would be mine, all mine. Even when he's with me, all he can think about is you. I cannot forgive you . . . I _will not forgive you . . ._"

_Her hands are like ice!_ Moka thought. "Stop it! Stop!" In a desperate attempt to fend off Mizore, Moka slapped her, but she wouldn't let go. Something else happened, though, or rather . . . something else shattered, like glass, or brittle ice.

"Did you hear that?" Kurumu asked Yukari from outside. "It sounded like it came from the classroom!"

Indeed, part of Mizore's face had fallen off, revealing that she was little more than a living doll made of ice. "Too bad . . . this is not the real me. The real me is with Adam." She shifted her free arm into an ice blade. "Die now, so that you will no longer stand in the way of Adam's happiness with me."

* * *

Back at the lake, its surface, along with the ground itself, had turned to ice. Quickly regaining his balance, Adam was about to use the reflective surface of the ice to escape, but an ice claw grabbed his ankle. "Don't go . . ." Mizore pleaded. "Adam, please don't leave me."

The ice began to grow over Adam's body, freezing him in place inexorably. "What are you doing, Mizore?!"

"If I freeze you, you won't go anywhere, right?" Mizore asked, walking toward Adam. "If I do that, you'll be mine only . . . We met each other because it was our fate to be together. We're the same, you and I. We understand each other like no one else can, and we can warm each other's hearts like no one else. Please . . . be mine, Adam."

Before he froze all the way, Adam channeled every last bit of willpower he had into reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his Advent Deck. He thrust the Deck out, a burst of black energy traveling down his arm to his waist and shattering the ice that had crept over it to form the Advent Belt.

"I'm not alone, Mizore . . ." Adam murmured. "Not anymore . . . and you don't have to be, either. Kamen Rider!" He slid the Advent Deck into the buckle of his Advent Belt, and it whirred inside the buckle, generating black energy that formed a protective sphere around his body. The sphere knocked Mizore away, and she watched in wonder as it melted the ice surrounding Adam's body and formed the armor of Kamen Rider Onyx over said body.

"Adam!" he heard Kurumu shout, and he looked up to see Kurumu flying over to him while carrying Moka.

"My ice doll should have killed you by now," Mizore stated tonelessly.

"Thank my great instinct for that!" Kurumu retorted. "Your ice doll is in pieces!"

"Don't get in my way!" Mizore shouted, generating a hailstorm that caused Kurumu to lose control of her flight while carrying Moka. The two girls came tumbling down, and Kamen Rider Onyx lunged to catch them before they fell on the ice. He managed to do that, but in the process he'd once again accidentally removed Moka's rosary. Also, the storm was still powerful enough to scatter them somewhat.

Onyx got up first, only to see Mizore looming over Moka, ready to kill her with her hands transformed into large ice claws. "Dumbass," she scoffed. "Why would I give my Adam to someone as disgusting as you? Die properly this time, ok?"

Onyx reacted, lunging at Mizore and tackling her away from Moka . . . just as Moka began to reveal her true visage. Just as Mizore looked up at Onyx with what might very well have been heartache in her eyes, the unsealed Moka stood over them, glaring coldly at her. _This girl . . . her demonic aura is so strong . . . what is she?_ Mizore wondered.

Her anger growing, she shoved Onyx off her and screamed, "You annoying bitch! Just die!" The enraged Mizore attempted to cut Moka down with her ice claws, only to receive a powerful high kick to the stomach from the super-vampire. She didn't get up after that.

"That's the end of it, huh?" Onyx commented sadly.

"You feel sorry for her, do you?" the Inner Moka deduced stoically.

"Somehow, I don't think she's a bad person," Onyx admitted. "Just lonely . . . like I was, until I met you."

"The other Moka was also lonely before she met you, Kamen Rider," Inner Moka responded. "The two of you are good for each other."

Just then, Kurumu pulled the still-armored Adam into a hug. "Adam, I was so worried about you!"

"Thanks, Kurumu," Onyx said. He looked at Inner Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari, who had caught up just in time. "Let's go back. We still have a party to take care of. Hold onto me, all of you."

The girls did as he said, and he used the reflection in the icy surface as a portal, instantly traversing the distance between the dimensions to get back inside the school. Unbeknownst to them, Mizore had still been partially conscious, and she was not pleased with what she'd witnessed, to say the least.

_What the hell was that?_ Mizore wondered. _You . . . you tricked me, Adam Taylor. I will never forgive you._

* * *

The next morning, Adam didn't see Mizore in homeroom, and neither did anyone else. When lunch came around, he finally got to ask Yukari what she knew about Mizore Shirayuki. The answers he got from her . . . were rather unsettling.

"She was supposed to be a second-year student, but she got held back because she was suspended from school too long to advance," Yukari explained.

"Why was she held back?" Adam asked.

"Because she tried to seduce a teacher, and when he wouldn't go for it, she froze him in ice," Yukari replied. "You're just another unlucky guy she set her cold heart on."

"Don't worry about her, Adam," Kurumu said. "You still have us!"

"Yeah, I do, don't I?" Adam remarked, smiling without real conviction. As much as he should have been comforted by what Kurumu said, he wasn't. He couldn't get Mizore out of his head. Like he'd said to Moka's inner self, she wasn't nearly as bad as Yukari made her sound. She was just lonely, like him, like he'd been before meeting Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari. They'd saved him . . . and he wanted to save her.

_Awww, isn't that sweet?_ Xaviax's specter mocked. _You want to be Mizore's knight in shining armor. You want to save her from her loneliness, be the loyal paladin . . . Well, you're not a knight in shining armor. Your armor's black and tarnished, remember?_

_Shut up,_ Adam retorted.

_You always respond with that whenever I have something to say,_ Xaviax observed. _Really, does the truth frighten you that much? You can't save anyone, Adam. You can't even save yourself. Romantic fool, let's see how these merry delusions of yours hold up when the truth comes out about you._

_Go away,_ Adam growled internally.

_I won't go away,_ Xaviax answered. _I'm intimately hooked into everything you ever were, everything you are now, and everything you ever will be. As long as you exist . . . so do I. Remember that, Adam._

_To be continued . . ._

Next: Lonely Snow and Onyx.

* * *

End Notes: All right, this is a little shorter than I've managed lately, but I hope you still like this. You have not seen the last of Mizore yet, and the next chapter's going to resolve her introductory storyline as well as conclude the "Love Is Pain" arc. Why is Mizore the way she is? Who was that teacher she supposedly tried to seduce? And can Adam reach Mizore and show her that her heart isn't cold? For the answers to those questions and others, hang on for next chapter and thanks for sticking by me thus far! Till next time, we ride to survive!


	10. Lonely Snow and Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 10: "Lonely Snow and Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story, nor do I receive other forms of compensation for it.

Author's note: Well, the original title was "Snow Girl and Onyx," but I came to the conclusion that "Lonely Snow and Onyx" was better. I'll try to keep the titles more consistent in the future. Anyway, Mizore's introductory arc concludes here, where you will discover the reasons for her being the way she is, and Adam will reach a crossroads in his path in the world of yokai. Whether he survives his choice or not is something you'll just have to tune into later chapters to find out, as the Student Police will be coming in for an arc in those next few chapters. Now . . . let's ride.

* * *

"_Mizore?" Adam called out through the blizzard._

"_Adam . . ." Mizore walked toward him, the blizzard clearing away from her path. "Be mine. Please . . . be mine."_

"_Mizore . . ." Adam didn't know what to say, as she came closer to him. "I . . ."_

"_No need to speak," Mizore answered. "Just love me. Please."_

_She embraced him, then, the two holding each other as the snow swirled around them. Adam looked into Mizore's eyes and leaned closer to her, about to kiss her – when she shattered in his arms. "No! Mizore!"_

_Adam looked up and saw Xaviax, in his true form, walking toward him in the snow. "Did you think I'd allow you to escape me that easily, Adam? Did you think I'd allow you any taste of joy after your infidelity?"_

"_Xaviax!" Adam yelled, drawing his Advent Deck and thrusting it out toward him. The Advent Buckle formed around his waist and he slammed his Advent Deck into it. "KAMEN RIDER!"_

"_You don't deserve her," Xaviax stated. "You don't deserve any of them. You don't deserve anything but to suffer, suffer long, and suffer hard."_

SWORD VENT.

_In a rage, Kamen Rider Onyx charged Xaviax with his sword, only for Xaviax to telekinetically stop him in his tracks and throw him to the ground. Onyx rolled to his feet and went after Xaviax again, but Xaviax grabbed his blade and yanked harshly on it, pulling Onyx into a vicious knee to the gut. Onyx collapsed from the force of the impact, and Xaviax kicked him just to make him roll over._

"_Pathetic," Xaviax taunted. "And to think I once expected so much of you."_

"_Go to hell . . ." Onyx snarled, rising to his feet and attacking Xaviax again._

"_Like I told you before, Adam, hell is here," Xaviax answered, catching Onyx's attack. "Hell is with you. That's why I'm still with you. This is your hell."_

_Then he threw Onyx aside, leaving him in the snow as he walked away. "Xaviax . . ." Onyx snarled. "XAVIAX! Come back here, you bastard! Come back and face me!"_

"_You want me . . . you know where to find me," Xaviax responded, not stopping despite Onyx's outraged screams._

_Onyx screamed until he'd gone hoarse, and then he crawled toward Mizore's shattered remains. "Mizore . . . Mizore . . ." he murmured. He picked up her head, which was the only part of her body to remain mostly intact despite the shattering. "Mizore . . . no . . ." He gently touched her cheek. "Mizore . . ."_

"_Everyone suffers because of you, Adam," a familiar voice said, prompting Onyx to turn and see Sarah and Kase staring at him with condemnation in their eyes. "Everyone."_

"_Sarah, I'm sorry . . . I didn't . . . I didn't mean to . . ." Onyx babbled. "I just wanted . . . I thought we could . . ."_

"_You were willing to sacrifice your friends and our world," Sarah retorted. "Why should we listen to anything you say?"_

"_Please!" Onyx pleaded. "Kase . . . Sarah . . ."_

"_There's nothing more to say to you," Kase replied coldly, and they walked away from him, leaving Onyx by himself, holding Mizore's crystalline head._

"_No . . . no . . . NO!" Onyx screamed._

* * *

Adam woke up in a cold sweat again, for what had to be the latest of too many such incidents to count. He turned around and punched his soaked pillow. "Why won't you leave me alone?!"

_Because I'm stuck here,_ Xaviax replied. _I didn't ask to be inside your head. You made me._

Once again, Adam changed his sheets and went to take a hot shower. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"

_Do you mean me, or Mizore Shirayuki?_ Xaviax asked. _I wonder what Moka would have to say if she found out you were dreaming about another girl._

"You're a powerless passenger in my head," Adam snapped. "How are you supposed to tell anyone that?"

_So you admit it?_ Xaviax inquired mockingly. _What did you say about stalkers? That they were unpleasant and obsessive and unstable?_

"Your point?" Adam interrogated.

_You seem awfully taken with Mizore,_ Xaviax remarked. _I wonder why that is. Do you sense a kindred spirit in her? Well, that's not going to last long._

"What are you talking about?" Adam asked.

_What do you think I'm talking about?_ Xaviax mocked. _I'm talking about the truth. The truth about you, the truth about why you're in this place . . . you think she's going to love you after that? You think any of them are going to love you after finding that out?_

Adam turned off the shower water, dried himself off, and got dressed in his uniform shirt and slacks. He went to the rooftop of the dorm and began to practice his katas, imagining that he was fighting Xaviax. Unfortunately, his imaginary Xaviax kept just out of his reach; every strike he made missed, no matter how precise or how forceful.

_A warrior must master his mind as well as his body, isn't that what Master Eubulon taught you?_ Xaviax mocked.

"Shut up!" Adam yelled, whirling into a punch that his imaginary Xaviax just evaded.

_Did I hit a sore spot with you?_ Xaviax asked in mock concern. _I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Adam._

"You wouldn't know a thing about my feelings, you son of a bitch!" Adam shouted.

_I know your heart is pulled in several directions at once,_ Xaviax replied. _Between your desire to just end it all and your desire to continue living so you can make a life with one of those girls that fancy you so much. You're even torn about which girl it should be. Personally, I'd go for Yukari. She's quite the kinky girl . . . and imagine the fun things you could do with her once she's old enough._

"You're sick!" Adam yelled, swinging into a kick to his imaginary Xaviax.

_I'm the sick one?_ Xaviax asked. _I'm just pulling all this out of your own head. Don't lie and say you've never been tempted._

"Shut up!" Adam roared, sweeping his leg into another kick.

_You really don't take advice that well, do you?_ Xaviax mocked.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Adam, the subject of his tormented thoughts was crying by herself in the forest surrounding Yokai Academy. Her icy tears dropped on the scrapbook she'd made of Adam's articles. As she wept over her broken heart, a pair of schoolboys approached her, having heard her weeping.

"Hey, are you all right?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, we just wanna help," the other added.

"Liars!" Mizore screamed, whirling upon them and unleashing an ice storm on them. "Leave me alone!" The two boys attempted to flee, but they quickly found themselves encased in ice. She looked at the frozen boys sadly. "Leave me alone . . ."

* * *

As the school day progressed, Adam still hadn't been able to get Mizore out of his head, and Shizuka Nekonome had called him and Moka into her office. When she'd made the reason for calling them in known, Adam looked at her with surprise . . . and gratitude.

"You want us to go find Mizore and drag her back to school?" he asked.

"Yes," Nekonome-sensei replied. "She was held back last year for missing too many school days, and I want her to advance this time around. She can't be missing days like she was before, or it'll be even more trouble for her. That's why I want you and Moka to go find Miss Shirayuki and drag her back here."

"Sure," Adam agreed. "We'll do it."

Moka looked at him in surprise, wondering why he'd agree to do this when Mizore had tried to kill them both just a few days ago. Adam glanced at her, his eyes filled with regret and determination at once. He might have been a bit afraid for his own life – and Moka's – but he wasn't going to let that stop him from finding Mizore and reaching out to her. She wasn't a bad person; he could tell that much. She was just lonely, like he'd been before Moka and the others came into his life.

Nekonome-sensei gave Adam a paper with Mizore's room number on it. "If she's not there, she should be at the cliff view overlooking her house," she said to him. "I'm counting on you both!"

"We won't let you down, Miss Nekonome," Adam stated. _And I won't let you down, Mizore. Not this time._

At that moment, a lanky pale-haired man with tired-looking eyes entered the office. "May I have a moment of your time, Nekonome-sensei?" he asked. "It's about Miss Shirayuki."

"Oh, Kotsubo-sensei!" Nekonome-sensei greeted cheerfully. "Of course we can talk. What's wrong with Miss Shirayuki?"

"You hadn't heard?" Okuto Kotsubo, the gym teacher, asked. "This is serious. Last night, Miss Shirayuki met with two of my best soccer team members – and damn near killed them."

Everyone looked at Kotsubo in shock, allowing him to go on. "After the poor kids got the life almost beaten out of them, she froze them in ice and if somebody hadn't found them, they'd be dead. As it is, they're in critical condition." He paused before continuing. "This is the second time she's acted out like this, and with her frequent absences both last year and this semester, I'd say this school's better off cutting its losses and expelling her."

_Mizore?_ Adam thought. _Did you really do that?_

"You must be Adam Taylor, right?" Kotsubo remarked, eyeing Adam curiously.

"I am," Adam replied warily.

"I would like to discuss this matter with you more privately," Kotsubo suggested to Nekonome-sensei, who waved Adam and Moka out of the office. They did exit through the door, but Adam lingered, being as quiet as possible to avoid being heard listening in. His plan didn't go that well, mainly because Ririko Kagome, their math teacher, happened to spot him and Moka.

"Hello, Adam, Moka," she greeted them. "You're not in trouble or anything, are you?"

"No," Adam replied, his stoic façade carefully masking the lustful feelings that surged within him at the sight of Miss Kagome. To be fair, Ririko Kagome was a very beautiful woman, often dressed in cleavage-baring shirts (and that was some generous cleavage), leather miniskirts, and heels. The round glasses she wore gave her the image of a "sexy librarian," and she was the object of desire for nearly all the boys of Yokai Academy.

"Honestly?" Kagome asked, violating Adam's personal space and giving him an (unintended?) eyeful of her cleavage. "You're a naughty boy. You'll get hurt someday if you court too much trouble. Not all the teachers here are as nice as I am."

"I'll bet," Adam responded, maintaining his cool despite Moka's jealous gaze upon him and Kagome. "What do you know about Mr. Kotsubo?"

"He's infamous for going after the female students here," Kagome explained. "He's also quite strict, and once he sets his eyes on a girl, he'll never let her go. There was a girl in last year's final semester who got suspended because of him. I would hate to see you make an enemy out of him."

Adam nodded and moved to restore some of his personal space. Slipping out of Kagome's line of sight, he and Moka embarked on their mission to see Mizore Shirayuki. On the way, they were accosted by Kurumu and Yukari, who wanted to know where they were going. Adam filled them in on the details.

* * *

"What?!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Nearly killed two male students and about to get expelled?! _Mizore?!_"

"Yeah," Adam admitted grimly.

"Are you serious?" Kurumu asked. "Why would she do such a thing?!"

"She's heartbroken," Yukari replied matter-of-factly. "Adam dumped her, and now she's mad."

Adam stared at the ground. _It's all my fault, then. I get that. Seems that's all I'm good for, causing trouble and hurting people I care about._

_Indeed,_ Xaviax replied. _And you're so very good at it. Know why? Because you're weak._

_Shut up!_ Adam yelled silently.

"Don't worry about it!" Kurumu advised, even while she was tugging on Yukari's face for upsetting Adam and Yukari was tugging on hers in return. "Weren't you mad about how Mizore kept following you around all the time?"

"Yeah, she deserves it," Yukari added. "Sucks for her!"

Adam clenched his fists tightly, swallowing the urge to just sock the second and third additions to his "harem" for their callous remarks about Mizore. "The two of you don't know a thing about Mizore. For all we know, that might not have even been her!"

_Why so defensive, Adam?_ Xaviax asked. _Is it because you think of her as a kindred spirit? You think she's just like you, another broken soul who just needs the light of love and friendship to bring meaning back into her life? Try to be realistic. She's trouble, and so are you. That's why you're perfect for each other._

"_We're the same, you and I . . ."_ Adam remembered Mizore's words to him that fateful day. He turned back to the girls. "I don't think she's really a bad person or anything like that. I think she's just . . . lonely."

"Even if you don't believe it," a voice called to them, "she did this. I'm certain of it."

The girls and Adam turned to see Kotsubo walking toward them. "Mr. Kotsubo?" Adam asked.

"Here's all the proof you need," Kotsubo replied sternly, holding up the very scrapbook Mizore had shown Adam that day. "This was found at the scene of the crime. Forgive me, Adam, but I read through it. Very troubling, isn't it, to be the object of affection for someone as clearly troubled as Miss Shirayuki."

"What are you saying?" Adam inquired, his hackles rising.

"Near the end of last year, Miss Shirayuki fell in love with a teacher, but her feelings went unrequited," Kotsubo explained. "She attacked him, froze him in ice, and for that she was suspended. Combined with her bad grades and her absence for the rest of that year, she was barred from advancing to the next year, and she's barely shown up this year. I don't think I need to explain any further what sort of girl she is."

Adam's eyes narrowed with growing rage barely chained in his mind. _Go on. Give me enough rope to hang you with, you son of a bitch._

_Ooh, angry, aren't we?_ Xaviax remarked. _You must really care about this Mizore. Maybe more than you do your precious Moka?_

_I don't trust this guy one damned bit,_ Adam snapped. _He's a snake in the grass. Like you._

_And like you,_ Xaviax rejoined coolly. _Hey, who was it that let me into the base in the first place? Who was it that was holding the bag when I sent your friends careening into the Advent Void? Who was it that pretended to be so full of remorse just so he could help me get the goods on Len's little rebellion?_

_Shut up,_ Adam growled.

"Adam," Kotsubo addressed him, regaining his attention, "don't you think it's better for you and for everyone you care about if she isn't here anymore? I mean, she clings to you like a leech, even if you don't like her. I understand exactly how you feel, young man."

"I get it," Adam said, his voice low. "That teacher she froze was you. You're just in this for a personal vendetta!"

"Now that's not an accusation to make lightly, Mr. Taylor," Kotsubo responded. "Given your own experience with her, I'd think you'd agree with me on how dangerous Miss Shirayuki is . . . unless, for some perverse reason, you've fallen in love with her. Unless you think somehow you can save her, like a knight in shining armor. Forget it, kid; that kind of stuff happens only in trashy romance novels."

Adam stood stiff, wanting so badly to reach out and choke the life out of Kotsubo. The girls looked at him with concern – and a little bit of jealousy, wondering if Kotsubo was right about his suppositions and Adam _had_ fallen in love with Mizore. Kotsubo just walked away, seemingly satisfied that he'd gotten the word out to Adam, even if the leather-jacketed boy didn't want to listen to him.

* * *

The trip to Mizore's dorm room was made in silence, given that Adam wasn't being accompanied by any of the girls. _Too many no-good sons of bitches in this school,_ he thought.

_Yes, and you'd like to be the one that makes it all right for her,_ Xaviax mocked. _Like a knight in shining armor. Kotsubo was right about one thing: You're not in some petty romance novel._

_If your opinion was actually worth a damn to me, I'd be listening,_ Adam sneered internally.

_But it is, isn't it?_ Xaviax taunted. _See, I'm the only one you've got, at the end of the day._

Before Adam could retort, he heard Mizore ask from the other side of the door, "Who is it?"

"It's Adam, Mizore!" Adam shouted through the door. "I just want to say that I'm sorry about that day! I know I hurt you . . . and I want to make it right!"

Mizore didn't seem to be in the mood to hear him, as giant icicles burst out of the door, about to impale him if he hadn't jumped back. As he was about to draw his Advent Deck to defend himself, Mizore exited the room, facing him directly.

"I'm serious!" Adam pleaded. "I don't want to fight you, Mizore! I just want to talk. Someone said that you attacked two guys last night, after our encounter . . . and the teachers want to expel you! Look, whatever happened, I'm pretty sure that wasn't you – or at least that you didn't do it on purpose. I'm also sure that if we go to them and explain everything, they won't expel you. I won't let them!"

"I will admit that I lost my temper," Mizore murmured. "But I defrosted them immediately. They should not have been seriously hurt."

Adam remembered Kotsubo saying that if the boys hadn't been found in time, they would have been dead. Then again, he had no reason to trust Kotsubo; whatever the hell the son of a bitch was, he was definitely a creep, and he'd made it clear he had no fondness for Mizore. It wouldn't be outside the range of expectations for him to lie about how badly the boys had been injured to get Mizore in trouble.

As he was pondering this, Mizore just chuckled, a low, almost cruel sound. "Don't act so innocent. Do you really think I'd attack innocent people for no reason?"

"No, I don't," Adam replied. "Let me help you!"

"There is no help for me, Adam," Mizore denied sadly, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Of all people I wished to understand me, I was hoping it would be you." She walked away from him, Adam about to pursue when he heard Moka calling him.

"What is it, Moka?" he asked.

"Sorry it took me so long to catch up," Moka replied, panting softly. "Where's Mizore?"

"She left," Adam admitted sadly.

* * *

Mizore had gone to the cliff to cast her lonely gaze on the lake ahead. She felt someone coming closer, and for a brief moment she hoped it was Adam. She was disappointed, though, when she heard the person's voice. "As usual, you come here whenever you get depressed, Shirayuki."

Kotsubo grabbed Mizore by her shoulders, holding her fast. "Kotsubo-sensei?!" Mizore asked, terrified.

"You might want to watch your step there," Kotsubo remarked with fake concern. "Strong winds here. Wouldn't be that strange if you accidentally fell off, would it?"

"Kotsubo-sensei . . . y-you . . ."

Kotsubo just smirked.

"No! No! Let me go!" Mizore struggled in Kotsubo's grip, and the struggle resulted in Kotsubo falling off the cliff. "No! Sensei!"

To her shock, an octopus-like tentacle reached up from where Kotsubo had fallen and grabbed her, yanking her down. "You shouldn't have done that," Kotsubo's voice murmured coldly. "I was just teasing you at first, but now . . . now you've done it. I'm going to drag you down, Shirayuki!"

Mizore looked at Kotsubo and screamed in fear, seeing that he'd grown a mass of octopus-like tentacles from his back, along with a shell resembling an octopus's main body.

"Look at yourself! You tried to freeze me in ice! It's only fair to this school that you be dragged to the bottom of the sea!"

"That's not how it happened!" Mizore protested. "You tried . . . you tried to . . . I was just defending myself!"

"You said you liked me, even that you loved me, didn't you?" Kotsubo shot back. "Then you shouldn't complain about what I do to you! I was just playing around, but you took it too seriously and ran scared! Can you imagine what it's going to do to my rep if you start spreading rumors like that? Better you just disappear!"

Mizore was horrified – and sad. Kotsubo had never loved her at all; it had all just been a game to him, and when the game had gotten too dangerous to play, he tried to get rid of her. If he couldn't scare her into never coming to school again, he'd get her expelled by making her take the fall for assaulting fellow students. If that didn't work out, he'd just kill her . . . like he was doing now.

_Is this it? Am I to die alone? Without anyone I can trust?_

The sound of a motorcycle racing closer interrupted Mizore's grim musings, as did the sight of a black dragon-styled motorcycle launching itself over the cliff and striking Kotsubo in the chest. A black-armored figure with large red eyes staring ominously out of the slits of a grilled visor back-flipped off the motorcycle to catch the falling Mizore, grabbing onto the cliff façade.

"Adam?" Mizore asked.

"Hey," Kamen Rider Onyx greeted. "I told you before: you don't have to be alone. I'm right here for you!"

"Adam . . ." Mizore uttered, stunned. Then her expression shifted to terror. "Look out!"

Onyx quickly hoisted Mizore over and back onto solid ground and dropped to avoid his own motorcycle coming at him thanks to Kotsubo's throw. As he dropped, he slotted his Strike Vent card, summoning the Dark Drag Claw onto his right hand. "Go to hell!" he shouted, unleashing black flames on the kraken, who screamed in furious agony as he burned. Onyx scurried back up onto the cliff with Mizore, just as Moka came running toward them.

"Are you ok?!" she asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Onyx replied, righting his motorbike and straddling it. Unfortunately, "fine" was short-lived, as Kotsubo came back up, maddened by the agony of being burned by such dark flame and ready to punish his attacker. Onyx was also in the mood to punish, though, and he rode right at Kotsubo, grabbing him by one of his tentacles and spinning on his bike into a kick that brought him down.

"I guess you take the whole 'knight in shining armor' thing literally," Kotsubo remarked. "But you're wearing the wrong color."

"This _is_ the right color," Onyx answered coldly. "The nothingness of death is where you're going, for what you did to Mizore. What you were going to do to Mizore. I will not allow something as disgusting as you to continue walking in this world, or any other."

"Big words, kid!" Kotsubo mocked. "What do you think you are, some kind of anime superhero?!"

"I'm no hero," Onyx denied, getting off his motorcycle and stalking toward the kraken.

_SWORD VENT._

With his Sword Vent activated, the Dark Drag Saber came to Kamen Rider Onyx's hand, and he went to attack Kotsubo with it. Kotsubo angrily swatted at him with his tentacles, but Onyx dodged and sliced off several of those tentacles. Kotsubo roared in rage and attacked Onyx, only for Onyx to disappear into an icy wall made by Mizore.

Another icy wall formed behind Kotsubo, and Onyx jumped out of it to kick him. Mizore made more icy walls around Kotsubo, and Onyx used them to ambush and evade the kraken, who thrashed about in frustration as he repeatedly tried and failed to get Onyx in his grip. "What the hell is this?!" Kotsubo asked furiously.

"My power . . ." Onyx replied, his blows coming from almost every angle imaginable. "Time to end this."

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker emerged from the icy walls, coiling around Onyx as the dark Rider crouched, preparing to finish the fight. Kotsubo attempted to run, but his legs wouldn't move. "What are you?! What is that?!"

"Scared?" Onyx asked, his voice low and cold. "You should be. This is your penalty, and I am your executioner."

He jumped into the air, Dragblacker coiling behind him and breathing black fire at him to boost the force of his flying kick, which crashed into Kotsubo with enough force to smash him through the icy walls and knock him into the lake. Onyx landed on the cliff and watched Kotsubo's body float up to the surface of the lake, unmoving and not breathing. He turned to Mizore, the large red eyes of his mask blazing beneath his visor.

"He'll never hurt you again."

* * *

Two weeks passed since Kotsubo's death. In that time, the truth had come out about his proclivities and what had gone on between him and Mizore. With the new evidence that had come in, the school board had ruled that there was no reason to expel Mizore and so reinstated her as a student of Yokai Academy. As for the matter of just who exactly had been responsible for Kotsubo's death, nobody quite knew.

Popular rumor, though, was that Kotsubo had lit himself on fire and drowned himself out of shame. Neither Adam nor Moka and Mizore were willing to dispel that particular rumor, given that it _was_ actually Adam's fault Kotsubo was dead. Also given that Adam had saved Mizore from being killed by Kotsubo, it was generally felt between the three of them that Kotsubo had gotten what he deserved.

"Good morning . . . Adam . . ." Mizore greeted him shyly while he was walking to class with Moka.

"Morning, Mizore," Adam responded. He looked at her curiously. "Something about you feels different."

"I thought I'd try cutting my hair," Mizore explained. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it looks good on you," Adam replied.

"So cute!" Moka agreed.

"Thanks, Adam," Mizore said. "I feel less burdened . . . thanks to you."

Thus, Adam had added another girl to his unofficial harem. She was a good friend . . . despite her tendency to follow him around when she thought he couldn't see her. It kinda gave him the creeps, but in a twisted way, it was kind of cute. Unbeknownst to him, Kotsubo's death wasn't quite the _fait accompli_ he believed it to be.

From within the shadows, several figures watched Adam. "He's gone too far," one of them snarled. "Going after a teacher . . . he has no respect for the boundaries of this school."

"We'll teach him, Kuyo-sama," another, this one female, spoke. "We'll teach him to respect the sacred honor of this place."

Kuyo's golden eyes narrowed. "Yes. We will teach him."

Next: Dragon's Full Moon.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, the tenth chapter of "Onyx and Vampire," and the lines between justice and vengeance have blurred here. Now, some of you might say that Adam's actions could qualify as justifiable homicide, given that he was defending Mizore from someone who intended to kill her and would have done so if not for his intervention. Others among you might say that there has to be a reckoning, sooner or later, for what Adam did . . . and if you've read the final scene, that reckoning is definitely going to come _sooner._

The "Love Is Pain" arc is over now, and the ending heralds the beginning of a new arc, which I call "Justice in Shadows." This next arc will pit Adam and the girls against the Student Police and force Adam to deal with the consequences of what happened to Okuto Kotsubo. Will this also spell the end of his time at Yokai Academy . . . or even the end of his life? And if he survives, what will change between him and the girls?

Until next time, thanks for the reviews, and let's ride!


	11. Dragon's Full Moon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 11: "Dragon's Full Moon"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no profit, monetary or other, whatsoever from this story and am only doing this for fun.

Author's note: As you can probably tell by the recent chapters, this isn't simply going to be a retread of the Rosario + Vampire story with a Kamen Rider in Tsukune's place. For example, the Student Police aren't just going to go after the Newspaper Club for being "in the way"; they're specifically targeting Kamen Rider Onyx because of what happened to Kotsubo last chapter. Plus, Adam's tormented visions of Xaviax are going to take their toll on him, and who knows if there's more to those visions than he realizes? Not to mention just what happens when Onyx actually confronts the Student Police, which will make things even worse! You wanna know how it all goes down? Read on.

* * *

Adam woke up in the morning, feeling absolutely horrible. That was to be expected, with all the nightmares he'd been having lately. The dreams had only gotten worse, with what he'd done to Kotsubo. Not that Adam had a problem with it at all; Kotsubo was going to kill Mizore, not to mention that he'd tried to rape her. As far as Adam was concerned, he'd given Kotsubo exactly what the son of a bitch deserved.

_If you're so convinced, why are you having the dreams?_ Xaviax's specter asked him.

_Shut up,_ Adam snapped.

_You always say that,_ Xaviax mocked. _Scared of what I have to tell you? You shouldn't be. I'm just here to help._

_Since when did you care about helping anybody but yourself?_ Adam asked.

_Since when did_ you_ care about helping anybody but yourself?_ Xaviax retorted. _Remember, Adam, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did if you hadn't helped because you wanted out of being a Kamen Rider._

_And then you made me a Kamen Rider again,_ Adam rejoined.

_Because I needed you,_ Xaviax remarked. _I thought you'd be my ace in the hole, my key to beating Len's little resistance. But you turned on me, spurned me for the vain hope of regaining the trust of a man who'd long since written you off as a traitor to everything you used to stand for. Not that you didn't deserve it._

Adam punched the sweaty pillow. _You son of a bitch. What do you want with me?_

_For you to remember what you are, what you've always been,_ Xaviax replied. _The sooner you get these little delusions about love and friendship and trust and happiness out of your head, the better off you'll be._

_Not a chance,_ Adam retorted.

_You're not going to be a happy man, Adam,_ Xaviax stated. _You don't deserve it, and you _know_ you don't deserve it. Quit deluding yourself._

Adam chuckled bitterly. _Maybe this is a delusion, but it's better than the hell you've turned my life into._

_Quit blaming me for everything that's gone wrong in your life,_ Xaviax responded. _You made the choice. Live with it!_

_Live with it? LIVE WITH IT!? How am I supposed to live knowing I betrayed Ventara? That I betrayed my friends?! That I betrayed the girl I love?!_

_Isn't that what you came here for in the first place? So you wouldn't have to_ live_ with that shame?_

"Whatever," Adam replied. "I have to get ready. So shut your trap and leave me alone."

_Can't do that,_ Xaviax answered. _See, you and I are stuck together. I don't like it anymore than you do. Suck it up._

_

* * *

_

Voice Log, Kamen Rider Onyx: Another day of school is about to start. I'm going insane. I'm pretty damned sure I'm going insane. Xaviax continues to haunt me like a bad dream I just can't shake. It's all in my head, right? Well, my own head isn't so hospitable to me these days.

_Kotsubo deserved to die. After what he did to Mizore, there's no way I could let him live. Nobody knows what really happened to him, and I intend to keep it that way. What was that somebody said once, "The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead"? No. I'm not going to kill Moka and Mizore, no matter how much the Xaviax running amok in my head would love me to do that. I'm not betraying my friends again . . ._

_Friends. That's a good one. They know nothing about what I really am, what I've done. They think I'm some kind of superhero. If only they knew what their "hero" really was._

_Moka . . . Moka is the sweetest girl I've ever met, at least while she has the rosary on. When she has it off, her true self emerges, a figure of great and terrible power and beauty . . . like a goddess's wrath personified. I love her._

_Kurumu . . . Kurumu is also sweet. Granted, she's always trying to seduce me with her big breasts, but sometimes it's kind of nice. I shouldn't enjoy it as much as I have, but it's one of the few persistently good things about being in Yokai Academy. Somehow, I get the feeling she's a little more innocent than she likes to act. After all, when she was about to permanently charm me the first time we met, she said it was her first time doing that._

_Yukari . . . Yukari has got to be the most perverted twelve-year-old I've had the luck to meet. Somehow, I don't think even Chance was that bad as a twelve-year-old, and he had his moments. She's pretty nice, though, and smart, too. She also wants to get me and Moka into bed with her, and that kinda freaks me out. She's_ twelve,_ damn it! _Twelve!

_Well, I could wait a few years. A few years isn't that long. Wait, did I seriously just say that? Damn it. Maybe Xaviax was right._

_And Mizore . . . out of all the girls I've had the luck to gather to me, she's the one I probably have the most in common with. Her eyes are beautiful, but they were so full of sadness when I first met her. I wish I could take away that sadness, and maybe I have . . ._

_But never mind. I have school to worry about now. I can sort out my love life later. End log._

* * *

Lunchtime came around that day, and Adam sat alone, contemplating everything when Moka came over to sit with him. "Hey, Adam!"

"Moka," Adam greeted.

"What's wrong?" Moka asked.

"Nothing," Adam replied.

"You can tell me . . ." Moka insisted.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," Adam answered, smiling at her. "Seriously, I'm fine. I've got you to thank for that."

"Speaking of that, I don't know much about your life before you came here," Moka mused aloud. "Or even about your friends, the other Kamen Riders."

"Yeah?" Adam asked hesitantly.

"I mean, you're not the only one, are you?" Moka asked. She pulled out a wallet-sized picture of Adam and Len, smiling for the camera and looking completely at ease with each other. "This guy in your picture, he's a Rider, too, right?"

Adam snatched the picture from Moka. "Where'd you get that?"

"You dropped it," Moka replied, stunned by Adam's rudeness. "I wanted to give it back to you, but then I saw the guy in the picture and I thought it'd be a chance to know more about you."

"He was my friend, my best friend," Adam confessed. "At least, before I did something unforgivable."

"What could you have done?" Moka asked. "You don't seem like the type of guy to do something so horrible he couldn't forgive you."

"It's not something I want to talk about right now," Adam said.

"Ok . . . how about bringing me over to your world someday?" Moka suggested, changing the subject. "You said you came from a place similar to the human world, but in another dimension, right? And that's where the Kamen Riders were formed if I'm not mistaken. There must be so many interesting people there! I bet they're all great heroes like you!"

Adam smiled bitterly. "I'm no hero, Moka. If you knew what I was, what I'd done, you wouldn't want to be anywhere near me."

"You couldn't have done something that horrible," Moka insisted.

"Uh, Moka, you look kinda pale," Adam remarked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Because I haven't had blood," Moka admitted.

"Want mine?" Adam asked. "I'm offering."

Moka blushed. "Thank you!"

Adam let her drink from him, stiffening as he stifled a pleasured groan from her bite. Times like this, he could almost forget . . . what he'd done, what he'd become, what he'd made himself into with that single act of supreme selfishness. Times like this, he could just enjoy being with Moka, just let himself be embraced by her warmth. . . .

All too soon, it came to an end, and they had to join up with the rest of the Newspaper Club to pass out copies of the paper in front of the school building. The boys came running almost immediately, eager to catch a glimpse of school beauties Moka and Kurumu, with the girls following to catch a glimpse of Adam – and maybe Moka and Kurumu, too.

* * *

"I'm so happy our newspaper's such a big hit!" Kurumu squealed. "I love you, Adam!" She hugged him tightly, pressing his head into her bosom.

"Kurumu, you don't need to hug Adam!" Moka shouted.

"Why not? He's mine, after all," Kurumu replied smugly.

"No," an almost emotionless voice denied, "he's _mine._"

The next thing Kurumu knew, she was stuck in ice and forced to watch while Mizore snatched Adam from her. "Hey!" Kurumu yelled in protest.

Yukari had her own fans, though, much to her initial joy and later dismay. "Wow, you're cute, too!"

"How old are you?"

"What kind of cosplay is that?"

Yukari screamed in fright and started running. "Lolicons!"

"Loli what?" Adam asked, whipping his head around. Then he caught the guys pestering Yukari. "Hey, she's twelve years old, you damned perverts!" He sighed. "Guess the paper's really popular, after all."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Club was being observed by two darkly clad students. One was a tall young man with long pale blond hair, and the other was a tall young woman, albeit shorter than the young man, with long dark hair. "The Newspaper Club . . . again."

"Yes, sir," the girl replied, kneeling before the blond young man. "They appear to be in the process of distributing their paper in front of the school gate."

"Without _our_ permission, I might add," the young man added scornfully. "Again! You'd think they'd have learned their lesson after the last time! But the fools just keep repeating their errors!"

"What about him?" the girl asked.

"Whom, the violent killer with no respect for authority or the lecherous wolf with no respect for authority?"

"Both of them," the girl clarified.

"The killer will be dealt with in short order. The wolf . . ." The young man's expression darkened further. "I will see to him personally."

* * *

Back at the school gate, Gin Morioka had finally had the decency to show himself. "What's up? I see the papers are going up real fast!"

"Yeah, they are!" Moka replied cheerily.

"We're gonna have to start charging for these," Gin remarked. Then he looked at Mizore. "Who are you, beautiful?"

"Mizore Shirayuki. What do you want?"

"Hmm, maybe your number, just to kick things off," Gin replied with a charming smile. Mizore just stared into that brightness, completely unfazed.

"Sorry, not interested."

"Come on, babe, who could it be?"

Mizore cast a meaningful look at Adam.

"Damn it!" Gin pouted. He looked at Adam. "How do you do this to me?!"

"Because I'm not interested in their cup sizes," Adam replied sarcastically. "Now how about helping pass out the papers?"

"Sorry, that's for the underlings," Gin responded dismissively.

"You're the club leader," Adam retorted. "You're supposed to be helping with this!"

"Hey, don't tell me what I'm supposed to do," Gin challenged.

"You could try being interested in something other than hentai stuff," Yukari remarked.

"As if a flat-chested girl like you was good for anything other than insulting people," Gin shot back.

"My flat chest is a status symbol!" Yukari declared.

"Then how about I rub them until they grow?" Gin suggested.

"Pervert!" Yukari shouted, and dropped a basin on his head with her magic.

The fun times didn't last long, though, as a group of darkly clad and serious-looking students came towards them, roughly shoving bystanders out of the way. "And who the hell are those guys?" Adam asked, his voice a quiet snarl.

"That's the Academy Public Safety Commission," Gin replied. "Also known as the Yokai Academy Student Police, or just the Enforcers."

"Enforcers?" Adam echoed. "Sounds like a comic book."

"Trust me, they're real . . ." Gin said with a chill in his voice. "And you shouldn't take them lightly."

Adam got a good look at the face of their leader, and his eyes widened in shock and dismay. _No . . . it's him . . ._

"Greetings," the apparent leader of the Enforcers, an imposing blond young man in a dark coat, announced with a respectful bow. "I'm Kuyo, the head of the Student Police. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Also pleased," Adam answered tersely.

"So you're the Newspaper Club," Kuyo remarked. "You do good work. Just one problem, though." He picked up one of the copies. "I don't recall having inspected this first, though."

"What's your damage?" Adam asked. "Never heard of freedom of the press?"

Kuyo's eyes flashed with outrage and he kicked down the newspaper stand. "How _dare you!_ Don't you realize that when a gang like yours just runs around doing whatever you please, it causes problems for the peace and order of this academy!?" He stared coldly at Adam, the sudden calmness of his tone even more frightening than his outright anger. "Contrary to what you might have assumed, _you_ are not the arbiters of justice here. _We are,_ and we will crack down on all unsanctioned activity in the immediate future . . . starting with renegades like you."

"That a threat?" Adam challenged, staring Kuyo down.

"Stop it!" Kurumu shouted. "We were just passing out newspapers!"

"Adam, Kurumu, don't!" Gin shouted. "All you're doing is provoking those guys!"

Just then, a tall dark-haired girl spat, and Kurumu's wrist was entangled in a sticky thread extending from the dark-haired girl's mouth. "I see this Newspaper Club is _still_ filled with lowlifes," she remarked with cool disdain. She let out a soft chuckle as she came closer to Kurumu. "Such a stupid, whorish girl. Just like last year."

"You, you –!" Kurumu yelled, her outrage so great she could barely speak.

"Last year?" Adam asked, shifting his inquisitive gaze to Gin, who looked like he was caught in some manner of internal struggle.

"Don't think that you can keep carrying on as you have!" the dark-haired girl shouted, stomping one of the fallen newspapers under her heel . . . and relishing Kurumu's expressions and noises of dismay. The students watching were also horrified at the cruel display, but they were also fully aware of the Student Police's reputation – and no one wanted to end up like the newspaper currently being crushed. "Do anything without our permission ever again, and we'll do even worse to you."

As the Enforcers walked away, Kuyo turned to the dark-haired girl. "Keito."

"Yes, sir?" Keito asked.

"Watch them," Kuyo ordered. "See how they react."

* * *

Adam watched them walk away, wanting nothing more than to transform and beat seven shades of hell out of them all. Then he remembered something slightly more important. "Kurumu."

"It's some kind of sticky thread . . ." Kurumu murmured. "It's hard to get off."

"Mizore," Adam called.

Mizore touched Kurumu's wrist and froze the sticky substance so Adam could snap it off her more easily. "Thanks," Kurumu said.

"Who were those guys?" Yukari asked.

"The Yokai Academy Public Safety Commission," Gin replied grimly. "Also known as the Student Police, or the Enforcers. They were formed to protect the school from evil forces by whatever means they had to, but they became corrupt. Now they're basically no better than yakuza. What happened just now . . . was them threatening to _really_ work us over unless we pay them off."

"And they went after us as a preemptive strike," Adam concluded. "Because like an old friend once said, if it wasn't for people like us that get the truth out to everybody no matter what, the liars and the manipulators and the schemers of the world could say whatever they wanted and everybody would believe them."

"Well, we've gotta burn the papers," Gin said, startling everybody present. "That's the only way we'll get them to lay off."

"We already handed out a lot of papers!" Kurumu protested. "What do you want us to do, take back every one we handed out and burn them?!"

"If you have to, yeah," Gin replied tersely. "Nothing good's coming to come out of trying to fight them."

"You . . ." Adam trailed off into an enraged snarl.

"I know what you're thinking, you crazy kid," Gin snapped. "You wanna fight them, anyway. Take a stand, make the school safe for freedom of the press. _Not happening._ Not if you like living, that is."

"Well, what if I _don't_ like living?" Adam sneered. "Or, what if I don't like living more than I like standing up for what's right?"

"Great, you think you're some kind of superhero," Gin grumbled. "Forget it! You're in over your head, going against those guys!"

"Better I do that than give up like you!" Adam snapped furiously. "I've seen firsthand what happens to people who try to bargain with bad guys like that!"

"And what would you know about that?!" Gin shot back.

"More than you want to know!" Adam yelled in response, slugging Gin in his pretty face and stomping off.

"Adam, wait!" Kurumu shouted.

* * *

As Adam stormed off, he was accosted by the Enforcers. "Perfect," he spat, his lips twisting into a snarl. "I've been looking for you sons of bitches."

"And we've been looking for you, Adam Taylor," Kuyo replied placidly. "We have things to discuss."

"Like what you're trying to do to the Newspaper Club?" Adam surmised. "That's something we can discuss, all right – the hard way, if you don't back off."

"No, what we want to discuss is what happened to Okuto Kotsubo two weeks ago," Kuyo amended. "We've been studying you, Adam Taylor. Your abilities, your fighting skills, the beast you command through that card deck of yours."

"What about Kotsubo?" Adam asked. "He lit himself on fire and jumped off a cliff. That's what I heard."

"Don't play dumb with me," Kuyo snapped. "I know what you did. I know what you've been doing. Do the names Saizo Komiya, Tamao Ichinose, Hitomi Ishigami, Nagare Kanou, and Junya Inui ring a bell with you?"

"They went after my friends," Adam retorted.

Kuyo leaned very close to Adam in a blatant violation of his personal space. "Let's get this straight between you and I. _You_ are not the law. _You_ are not justice. You are merely a sad, arrogant child tampering in things you don't understand. But I'm impressed with your courage, so I'll give you this offer – take it or leave it. Join us . . . or go down like everyone else who tried to oppose us."

"Join you?" Adam asked. "Let me think about that." He stared up at the sky in a thinking gesture, and then tilted his head down with a cold smirk. "Go to hell." He reached into his pocket and thrust his Advent Deck out, but Kuyo grabbed his wrist with lightning reflexes and squeezed.

"Brave . . . but foolish," Kuyo sneered, staring into Adam's pained snarl.

Before Adam was really aware of it, he swung with his other fist, and a pulse of psychokinetic force came with the impact, knocking Kuyo down and allowing Adam to pick up the Onyx Deck. "I'm not going to be intimidated by you, Kuyo. And I'm not going to let you hurt my friends. I'll kill you first."

"Like you did Kotsubo?" Kuyo taunted.

Adam turned on his heel and walked away. "The man was a rapist. He deserved everything he got."

"Is that an admission of guilt, Adam Taylor!?" Kuyo shouted after him.

"Think what you want," Adam responded coldly.

* * *

Kurumu had managed to catch up with Adam, holding a stack of newspapers. "Adam!"

"Hi, Kurumu," Adam greeted her.

"What happened to your wrist?" Kurumu asked, noting the bruise that was already forming on his skin.

"Kuyo," Adam replied tersely. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to hand these out!" Kurumu declared. "I don't care what Gin-sempai has to say about it! If he's going to chicken out, he doesn't deserve my respect!"

Adam smiled. "I agree with you. Let's do it."

At that moment, a sticky thread attached itself to the stack of newspapers Kurumu was holding and yanked it out of her hands. "Stupid girl . . . don't even think about it," a mocking female voice spoke from above, prompting Adam and Kurumu to look up and see Keito standing on a web woven between two trees. "So it appears you have no interest in being good students and obeying us. Very well, I'll crush you right here and now!"

As Keito lowered herself to the ground on a sticky thread, Kurumu shouted at her, "Give us back our papers!"

"What the hell did the Newspaper Club ever do to you?" Adam snapped.

"Simple," Keito replied icily. "The last Newspaper Club presumed that they could change the Academy by themselves. For whatever reason, they believed we were the problem and so they wrote articles criticizing our proud organization. We couldn't have them stirring up rebellion, so we had to put them down."

_So that's why Gin didn't want to fight,_ Adam thought. _I just thought it was him being scared, but he knew . . . he experienced firsthand what happened when he tried to fight back._

_Exactly,_ Xaviax remarked mockingly. _He was a little bit smarter than your Kamen Rider friends were. They thought if they fought long enough and hard enough, they could beat me. But we all know what happened there, don't we?_

"This academy is a motley collection of various ayashi," Keito went on. "The only reason it hasn't completely devolved into chaos is _our_ protection! If you don't understand that, you deserve death!"

Adam spat. "'Protection.' Like the yakuza protects a storekeeper in exchange for a cut of the monthly profits, and if the storekeeper refuses, the store gets burned down. That's not protection. That's tyranny. Go to hell."

"_You_ go to hell!" Keito shouted, outraged by Adam's disrespect. "_You and your newspaper_ go to hell!" She set the papers on fire, much to Kurumu's dismay, accented by Keito's vengeful laughter. "Sure burns nicely, hmm?"

Adam pulled out his Advent Deck, thrusting it out toward Keito. "You're going to regret that, you bitch. Kamen Ri –" At the last second, Keito trapped his hand with a sticky thread, and did the same to Kurumu, throwing them around.

"You two are in _my_ web now!" Keito declared as she used her spider threads to trap them. Knocking Kurumu aside, she stalked towards the bound Adam. "If you want me to let you go, you'll have to be a lot more willing to comply. You see, we of the Enforcers are allowed to use our supernatural talents to preserve the peace. That means we exist on a different plane than you!"

As she spoke, her shirt parted at the midriff to reveal three pairs of spider legs sticking out of her midsection. That wasn't where the transformation stopped, though; she crawled toward Adam on her spider legs, her body becoming more like some twisted hybrid of spider and woman.

"I thought you were ugly before," Adam quipped, "but this is even worse!"

"Joke all you like," Keito taunted. "It won't change the fact that you're helpless, and your bodily fluids will be mine to drink!"

"Adam!" a helpless Kurumu cried out in horror at what was about to happen to her Destined One.

Just then, Moka appeared out of nowhere to tackle Keito away from Adam. "Moka!" Adam shouted.

"Adam!" Moka called to him, running over to free him from the webs.

"Who do you think you are, you stupid bitch?!" Keito yelled, spitting threads at Moka. "Raising your hand against me, against the Enforcers, means death! I'll send you to hell so you can think about what you've done while suffering forever!"

Just as she was about to strike the killing blow, Adam managed to intercede, the tip of one of Keito's spider legs slicing into his back. "Adam!" Moka and Kurumu cried out in shock.

Adam chuckled in spite of the pain; Keito's attack had cut him loose, despite the injury it had also dealt him. "Thanks, Keito. I owe you one." He spun around and slammed the Onyx Deck into the Advent Buckle that had formed around his waist. "Don't stand so close to me, Moka. Kamen Rider."

Moka managed to step back just as the black-and-red energy sphere formed around Adam, complete with waist-high twin rings that folded around him to generate his Kamen Rider armor. He wasn't the only one transforming, though; as he'd accidentally taken off Moka's rosary, her demonic aura spiked, releasing her true power – and true self.

"You two are a nuisance!" Keito screamed. "I don't care what you do or what you transform into! You're nothing!"

"Shut up," Kamen Rider Onyx snarled, his voice low and cold. Keito shot another thread at them, but she was interrupted by . . .

_GUARD VENT._

The Dark Drag Shield, shaped like Dragblacker's underside, blocked Keito's threads. Onyx and Moka, whose arm had also been caught into Keito's threads, used this to yank her over to them and kick her in the stomach simultaneously. The dual kicks knocked Keito on her back, and Onyx stalked toward her, slotting another Advent Card.

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker coiled around Onyx as Onyx threw himself into a flying kick enhanced by black fire breathed from Dragblacker's mouth. The burning kick landed in Keito's midsection with a savage force that embedded her in a makeshift crater. Onyx stood in front of that crater, the large red lenses beneath his grilled visor blazing with cold fury as a severely charred Keito coughed up blood.

"You . . ."

"I let you live for one reason," Onyx stated coldly. "So you could tell Kuyo yourself that he'll be better off backing away from the Newspaper Club, or what I did to you . . . I'll do to him." He turned on his heel and walked away from the helpless Keito, disengaging his Rider armor and handing Moka back her rosary.

Moka looked at him curiously. "You're a strange man, Adam Taylor. Almost like a pile of secrets."

"Gotta keep you on your toes," Adam answered with a small grin. He looked at Mizore, who had managed to save Kurumu in the process of stalking Adam. "Thanks."

"You're hurt," Mizore observed.

"I'll live," Adam responded.

* * *

Meanwhile, word had gotten back to Kuyo about Keito's defeat – and who precisely had done it. "So they still intend to fight us, even with what we did to that club last year? So be it! I'll wipe them out with my own two hands!"

"You can't just do that," a sinister female voice pointed out, chuckling darkly. "Even the police can't go after a club without probable cause."

"Who are you?" Kuyo asked, seeing a woman hidden in the shadows of the Enforcers' meeting place.

"If it was me, I'd be able to do it in a heartbeat," the woman went on. "But I'm a little disabled at the moment, so I'll have to settle for teaching you their weak point. It's Adam Taylor. From my own experience with him, I'd argue that this 'Kamen Rider,' as he calls himself, is one of an order of human assassins that have somehow created technology that enslaves beasts to empower themselves to fight against our kind on a more even playing field."

"You said there was a human in Yokai Academy?" Kuyo asked. "And not just any human, but a human _assassin,_ infiltrating our school to kill us off? Then Kotsubo was just the beginning, wasn't he?"

"Well, the law wouldn't have a problem with you protecting the academy from an assassin in its student body, now would it?" the shadowy woman remarked, an evil smirk forming on her face. "Along with his little whores at the Newspaper Club . . . correct?"

Next: Onyx, the Fallen Knight.

* * *

End Notes: There you have it. The first part of the "Justice in Shadows" arc is complete, with two more on the way! Now that Adam's definitely made his mark as an enemy of the Student Police, what's going to happen to him, especially since the Student Police has been led to believe he's actually a human assassin?

In the meantime, just how close has Adam gotten to breaking under the strain of his secrets, and what is the true nature of his nightmares of Xaviax? Will his relationship with the girls survive after the revelation of those secrets, particularly as forced by the Student Police? Will _he_ survive _at all?_ For the answers to those questions and others, hang on until next time . . . and let's ride!


	12. Onyx, the Fallen Knight

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 12: "Onyx, the Fallen Knight"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness Entertainment, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story.

Author's note: Now that KRDK has ended and we've all seen how it turns out for everyone, you'd think there'd be some confusion with how this version of events jibes with the series canon. Truthfully, I am perfectly capable of adjusting, and considering that the series implies that there are other worlds behind the mirrors and other threats lurking, it gives me room to pull off my Americanized versions of other Kamen Rider series and link them to KRDK.

In the meantime, this chapter is where it all comes out. Adam's past, his motivations for coming to Yokai Academy, they're all exposed here! Against the Student Police, who now think he's some kind of assassin, will he stand . . . or will he fall? And even if he does survive, will he do so with Moka and the others by his side, or will he be alone again? For the answers to those questions and others, let's ride!

* * *

To say that Ginei Morioka was unhappy was to utterly understate the matter. To say that he was furious was still an understatement, albeit slightly more accurate. To say that he was ready to kick Adam Taylor's ass all over the place was even truer to how he felt. To say that he was just one step short of reaching out and throttling the motorcyclist was something much more factual.

"You frigging morons!" he yelled. "You mean to tell me that you started trouble with the Student Police and even thrashed one of them?! What the hell's wrong with you!?"

Moka and Kurumu looked very ashamed of themselves. Adam just glared unrepentantly at Gin. "Screw you. Keito attacked us first. We were defending ourselves."

"Didn't I say you'd just get yourselves in trouble fighting those guys?" Gin insisted irritably. "The Academy Enforcers are rotten to the core, from Kuyo on down, and they're full of some of the toughest, baddest mofos in Japan's ayashi population!" He pulled Moka close in a protective gesture. "I don't know what I'm going to do if my dear Moka gets hurt because you guys decided to mess with them!"

"Um, Moka helped Adam beat Keito up," Kurumu mumbled.

Adam rubbed his shoulder where he'd been slashed by Keito's spider legs. He'd managed to close the wound by using the healing technique Eubulon had taught the original Kamen Riders, but it still hurt.

"Hey, what's wrong, Adam?" Gin asked, noticing him rubbing his shoulder.

"Just an ache," Adam replied. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, Adam," Moka said, coming closer to him. "It's my fault you got that wound."

"I'm fine, Moka," Adam answered. "Really, you don't need to worry about me."

_Even though as a human, it's only that card deck that keeps you alive when you get into fights with our kind . . ._ Moka thought ruefully. Aloud, "Thank you, Adam. I . . ." She leaned closer to him, as he did her.

"Moka . . ." Adam murmured.

Kurumu loomed over the couple, glaring darkly at Moka just before shoving her out of the way. "Don't let your guard down!" Then she turned to Adam, her eyes filled with tenderness. "Are you ok, Adam?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Adam replied.

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side night and day, nursing you back to health!" Kurumu vowed as she held Adam tightly.

"You can stop doing that, you know," Adam remarked sourly, a bit annoyed with everyone's fussing over him. "I'm not made of glass."

Just then, Gin shoved them apart and got in Adam's face. "You ungrateful little bastard! Why are you more popular than me?! I don't get it!"

"Maybe because I'm not a lecherous coward," Adam retorted.

Gin grabbed Adam by the arm and started dragging him toward the door. "That's it! I'm taking you to the Enforcers so you can confess everything and get the death penalty!"

"Yeah, you're gonna sell me out just because you're jealous!" Adam snapped, struggling with Gin. "What kind of man are you?!"

"A man's jealousy is an ugly thing," Yukari remarked.

Adam got a chill as the door opened, and he found himself staring into a face that was simultaneously familiar and strange. "It's too late for that now, you fools," Kuyo remarked. "And I have bigger concerns involved in my pursuit of Adam Taylor than his women. You raised your hand against us. It's time for punishment."

"Damn it, they're already here!" Gin shouted. "Wait, wait, wait! It was just a quarrel, right? You can't shut us down for that, even if she was one of you guys!"

"It's more than just what happened to Keito," Kuyo replied. "It's what's been happening since this man came to Yokai Academy. Repeatedly he has raised his hand against yokai, using powers I do not recognize to facilitate his assaults. He's even killed a teacher, Okuto Kotsubo, to be precise." He turned to Moka. "And you aided him. You kept his secret. You participated in his assaults. Both of you will be coming with us."

"Keito started it," Adam replied. "Hell, all of them started it. Saizo was going to rape Moka. Ishigami was kidnapping girls and turning them into statues in the name of some twisted concept of art. Kotsubo had a habit of forcing himself on his students, and one of those students happened to be a friend of mine."

"Regardless, you are a vigilante," Kuyo replied, as his Enforcers pointed their swords at Adam. "And you are worse than a vigilante. You are an assassin, tasked by some human organization that has managed to enslave ayashi beasts to use their power against us."

"WHAT?!" was the incredulous shout that came from Kurumu and Gin.

"What are you talking about?!" Kurumu asked. "There's no way that could happen! Humans can't cross the barrier into this world! It's a lie – right, Adam?!"

Moka and Adam stood stock still. No, Adam wasn't an assassin . . . but he was human. And Moka knew that. She'd known that from the beginning, and she'd kept his secret faithfully. How the hell could anybody find out about that?

"So what is it?" Kuyo asked, leaning close to Adam. "Is it true? Are you an assassin from the human side? Because if you are, it would explain your fighting skills. It doesn't matter, though; we're not in the business of letting humans sneak into our academy."

"Stop it!" Kurumu yelled, storming toward Kuyo. "I don't believe that! Let Adam go!"

"_Move,_" Kuyo ordered, amplifying his voice with a hellish wave of demonic aura crashing down on Kurumu's senses.

_That aura . . . it's so strong . . . I'm . . . what is he?_ Kurumu wondered.

Kuyo scoffed as the intimidated Kurumu moved back. "As if we didn't already try to shut you down last year. Nothing but scum that can't learn from its mistakes." He turned to Adam and Moka. "Come with us."

* * *

The Academy Enforcers escorted Adam and Moka out, leaving the rest of the Newspaper Club to assess their options. "A human, he says," Gin muttered. "I'm sorry I had anything to do with that son of a bitch."

"What, you believe him!?" Kurumu yelled. "There's no way he could be human, baldie!"

"Who's a baldie, you top-heavy girl?!" Gin yelled back. "And what if it is true?! Just because we're coexisting now doesn't mean we're not still enemies! Of course I'd be suspicious!"

"I don't think so, and you _will_ go bald if you keep wearing that headband!" Kurumu shouted.

"Aw, no, really?!" Gin yelled in despair.

"Now that I think about it, he is really humanlike," Yukari murmured. "Other than his healing, he's no stronger or faster than a human, unless he uses that card deck to transform."

"The card deck!" Gin exclaimed. "What the hell do we know about it? Or him, for that matter? He's so freaking secretive, like he doesn't want to tell us anything about himself! How can we be so sure he isn't an assassin? And even if he isn't, him being human is a death sentence in and of itself, and we might just be executed with him for harboring him!"

Kurumu was on the verge of hyperventilating. _It can't be . . . not Adam . . . _Steeling herself, she raised her voice. "Then we have to save both of them!"

"Hold your horses!" Gin cut in. "Kuyo's the sort of bastard who justifies everything he does by saying he's acting in the name of justice. To him, anybody that goes against him is an evildoer that needs to be burned off the face of the earth! We're gonna be in deep if we go against him!"

To his surprise, Kurumu and Yukari were already heading out the door. "Hey, listen to a man when he's talking!"

"When there is a man speaking, then we'll listen," Mizore remarked, popping out from underneath a desk.

"Damn it!" Gin shouted, startled. "Crazy woman! Crazy _women!_" He punched the wall. "Damn it! It's going to be just like last year!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Academy Enforcers escorted Adam and Moka to the dungeons beneath Yokai Academy, confiscating Adam's Advent Deck to keep him from transforming and attempting to fight them. _How did they find out?_ Adam wondered as he and Moka walked into the dungeons. _Well, so much for friends._

_Yes, yes, so much for friends,_ Xaviax remarked. _You've got no one now. No one except me. Should have just let yourself die sooner. There is a way out, though._

_What?_ Adam asked.

_That's more like it,_ Xaviax replied. _I guess when you know you've got nowhere left to turn, you can forget about stupidities like pride._

Adam looked at the row of cells and saw raggedy-looking students reaching through the bars screaming and begging and crying and raging.

"All I did was refuse to pay you off!"

"All I did was badmouth the Academy Police a little!"

"Let me out! Let me out!"

"Kuyo, you bastard . . . _how dare you set me up like this!!!_" The one who screamed that reached through the bars, his arm morphing into a large demonic appendage. Nonchalantly, Kuyo turned and unleashed a volley of flames on the prisoner, knocking him back and scorching him as well.

"Piece of trash," Kuyo muttered. "What are you going to do to me?"

_Those flames . . ._ Adam thought in shock and terror. _They're as hot as the flames of Wrath's Advent Beast!_

"We are the protectors of the peace at this academy," Kuyo declared, "the sacred keepers of _justice!_ Any who turn against us turn against this academy and are enemies of justice and peace – and they will be _treated as such!_" He stomped the fallen prisoner with his boot, just before turning to Adam. "Your turn. Transform now, without using that card deck. Prove to me that you're not a human assassin."

"I've got nothing to prove to you," Adam answered.

"So defiant," Kuyo observed. "Such resolve in your eyes. I could have used that resolve on my side. But you chose to defy me. So be it."

"Stop it!" Moka yelled, darting between Adam and Kuyo to shield Adam. "Adam is . . . Adam is . . ."

"Get out of the way," Kuyo snapped, punching Moka so hard in her midsection that she almost immediately collapsed.

"_Moka!"_ Adam shouted, horrified. He glared at Kuyo. "You . . . you bastard . . ."

"Transform, Adam," Kuyo sneered. "If you're so bent on avenging her, on supplanting me as the justice of this academy, transform now."

Adam growled angrily and the next thing Kuyo knew, a wave of psychokinetic force had slammed him against a wall. Kuyo looked to the source, seeing Adam with his arm outstretched as though in a grasping fashion. With a sweep of his arm, he threw Kuyo into another wall.

"You shouldn't have asked that of me," Adam whispered, his tone gradually less human. He stalked toward Kuyo. "Do you want to know what I'm going to do to you now?"

Kuyo looked at Adam, his senses detecting an increasingly evil aura around the leather-jacketed young man. Images flashed in his mind of a black shadow with red eyes staring contemptuously at him. "Is this what you truly are?" Kuyo asked. "Is this what you are?!"

Adam smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"You trash!" Kuyo yelled, throwing another fireball at Adam, who sliced it apart with a telekinetically reinforced hand. He charged Adam, who blocked each and every one of his punches with mocking serenity.

"I knew a guy a lot like you," Adam went on. "He was a lot better than you, of course. He was a sweet guy, not very big on violence to get his way. Liked people a lot, even humans, despite not being one. You're a disgrace to his face, and you're a perversion of everything he stood for."

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice remarked. "So even you can't stand against him. Leave him to me, then. I'll put this human in his place."

Adam whirled to see Hitomi Ishigami step out of the shadows. "Hello, Ishigami-_sensei,_" he sneered. "So good to see you again."

"You don't get to kill him, Kuyo," Ishigami stated. "I do. That Newspaper Club humiliated me, exposed me, wounded me! I will not be satisfied until I've flayed the skin off their muscles, dismembered their corpses, and smashed their skulls in with rocks!"

"Ooh, sounds fun," Adam taunted, a wicked smirk on his face. "A little pedestrian, but fun."

"Adam . . ." Moka murmured, looking up to see him with that unnatural smile on his face. "What's . . . what's happening to you?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurumu and Yukari were heading for the Academy Enforcers' headquarters, which Mizore had scouted out beforehand to help them out. "What a creepy place," Kurumu remarked. "Is this really where they headquarter themselves?"

"I'm scared," Yukari murmured babyishly.

"I told you to wait, Kurumu!" Gin shouted from the bridge above. "Going in there and beating people up without a plan is just going to make things worse!"

"Plan? _Plan?!_ While Adam could be dying right now?!" Kurumu yelled. "You're always like this! Always trying to save yourself, no matter who else is getting hurt! Some friend you are! You're pathetic! Go hide in a hole somewhere, I don't need you!"

"Do whatever the hell you want, you cow!" Gin yelled. "But answer this: Even if he was human, even if he was some kind of assassin sent to infiltrate and kill us, would you still save him?!"

". . . Yes," Kurumu replied. "Human or yokai, he's Adam . . . he's the one I love. So to abandon him to death . . . would be something I could never live with."

* * *

Back in the dungeon, Ishigami was coming closer to Adam. "You've changed since I last saw you," she remarked. "Your aura reeks of evil now . . . it tastes delicious."

Adam smirked. "And you're still as nasty a bitch as I remember you."

"You hurt me, Adam Taylor," Ishigami snarled. "My hair . . . you cut my beautiful hair with that sword . . . _How dare you do that to me, you filthy human!_"

As she was about to strike and Adam was about to defend himself, Kuyo emerged behind her. "Stand back, Ishigami. He's mine to kill. Him and the rest of his club."

"You can have him," Ishigami answered. "But I get the rest, particularly his pretty little vampire!"

"No," Kuyo denied, blasting Ishigami with flames. Adam managed to protect himself and Moka with a psychokinetic shield, but Ishigami wasn't as lucky.

_What a spectacle,_ Ishigami thought. _This Adam is so powerful an ayashi that he can impose his will over physical matter and even energy. What an interesting boy._

"Adam . . ." Moka murmured. "However you gained this power, you don't have to fight so hard to protect me. Take my rosary off. Even if everyone knows you're human, I'll stay with you . . . I'll fight with you, no matter what."

"Moka . . ." Adam murmured, her kind words cutting through the fog of bloodlust and unnatural power that he'd siphoned from Xaviax in order to fight Kuyo without his Advent Deck. His malevolent expression faded into something kinder, gentler as he looked upon Moka.

"Fool," Kuyo sneered. "Do you realize what you're doing? By vowing to protect and fight alongside this human, you've made yourself the enemy of all ayashi. You're a traitor . . . and the sentence for treason is _death!_" He charged up, his aura practically igniting itself. "I'll leave behind no evidence that you ever existed!"

Adam glared at Kuyo, ready to snatch the rosary off Moka's neck and simultaneously preparing to unleash more of Xaviax's power – regardless of the risk to his soul – to protect her from Kuyo's attack. Fortunately, he didn't have to go that far, as vines suddenly reached out and restrained Kuyo's fireball-throwing arm . . . and a familiar black case with a dragon crest flew into Adam's outstretched hand.

"What?!" Kuyo uttered, stunned by this turn of events.

"You can't rely on Moka all the time, Adam," Kurumu remarked, her wings and tail out as she flew down toward him and Moka. Adam felt a slight frosting on his Advent Deck, and he knew who had procured it for him.

"Thanks, Kurumu . . . Mizore . . ." Adam responded.

Mizore just looked at Adam placidly. "You're welcome."

Yukari rushed in. "Is Adam all right?! Quickly, I'll put medicine on him!"

Moka smiled with relief. "You all came to save us!"

_

* * *

_

"Cool cards," the Enforcer tasked with guarding Adam's Advent Deck remarked to himself. He currently had Sword Vent and Strike Vent out of the case that held the Onyx Advent Cards and was almost drooling over them. The sword depicted by the Sword Vent card looked awesome, and the dragon-headed claw depicted by the Strike Vent card looked wicked.

_"Quit playing with his cards," a feminine voice ordered coldly. The Enforcer turned to face the intruder, only to be trapped in ice. The intruder, Mizore Shirayuki, picked up the cards and placed them back inside their case, then departed quickly after defrosting the Enforcer._

* * *

While Kuyo was preoccupied with breaking free from what he now realized was an illusion, Ishigami slipped away to observe the battle from a safer distance. "You think you can beat me with parlor tricks!?" He unleashed another fire attack, just as Adam thrust out his Advent Deck to use its shielding to protect the girls. "I'll turn you all into ashes!"

"What a frigging mess," a familiar voice remarked.

"You . . ." Kuyo snarled, turning in the direction of the voice.

"Yeah," Gin answered. "If you're all gonna act this crazy, I might as well come and pull your asses out of the fire."

"All of you standing against me . . ." Kuyo growled. "Me, the justice of this academy! Are you all insane?!"

"Maybe, but these are my friends you're talking about here," Gin replied as he began to transform. "See, they do crazy stuff like this from time to time . . . but I wouldn't trade any of them for anything. Except Adam, of course; that guy's more popular than me for some crazy reason."

He lunged at Kuyo, just as a transformed Kamen Rider Onyx joined him in attacking Kuyo. In one single moment, Gin had managed to strike Kuyo with a flurry of punches, while Onyx summoned Dragblacker to unleash the darkness flames upon Kuyo.

"I don't care if you are justice, you're not messing with my club," Gin spat as he shifted back to human form. "Remember that, fool."

"Gin-sempai!" Kurumu shouted, rushing over to him. Unfortunately for her, Gin chose that moment to grope her chest.

"My little reward for saving you," Gin remarked with a smile.

"Pervert," Onyx muttered.

"Isn't this great?" Moka asked. "Even though everybody heard you were a human, they still came to save you."

"Yeah," Onyx muttered ruefully. "Great."

"What's your damage, man?" Gin asked. "You almost sound like you'd rather have Kuyo roast your ass!"

"Maybe I would," Onyx replied.

"You can't mean that!" Kurumu shouted in dismay.

"I do," Onyx admitted sadly. "You see, I wasn't always Kamen Rider Onyx. Once, this armor was red, and I was known as Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. I was part of an organization of 12 chosen warriors sworn to defend our world Ventara from an invading force of monsters engineered and led by a warlord named Xaviax. But I betrayed them all . . . because I was weak . . . because I was selfish – because I'd rather live a normal life with the girl I loved than commit myself to what seemed to be a never-ending battle."

He gestured at his armor. "This . . . being Kamen Rider Onyx . . . is my punishment for that betrayal. I don't deserve to wear the colors of Dragon Knight. That's gone to someone much worthier than me. After all, he had the courage to tell Xaviax no. He had the courage not to let his feelings get in the way of saving both worlds . . . unlike me. I'm not a hero. I never was. I'm the worst kind of monster there is – someone who can't stand by his friends when they need him the most."

He turned away from the girls and Gin, facing a resurging Kuyo. "He's going to kill me. I'm fine with that. It's what I deserve. Not love, not friendship, not happiness . . . _death._"

Everyone gaped at him, speechless for a while . . . but only a while. Kurumu walked up to Onyx, turned him around, and punched him in his masked face, knocking him to the ground. "_How can you say that about yourself?!_ Don't you know what kind of man you really are?!"

"That's why I'm doing this," Onyx replied sadly. "I _know_ what kind of man I am."

"No, you don't!" Kurumu yelled. "If you did, you wouldn't be talking like that about yourself! You're the man who saved me from being killed by the scary Moka! You're the man who stood by me even while Nagare was doing those horrible things to me!"

"You're the man who saved me from Saizo, even when I rejected you for being human," Moka added. "You're the man who fought to save me from Ichinose and her Swim Club. You're the man who protected me from Ishigami-sensei. You're the man who fought for my love even when he had every reason to give up."

"You're the brave knight who saved me from those lizardmen that were going to eat me!" Yukari chimed in.

"You're the first man to ever understand me . . . to still want me even after I tried to take you all for myself," Mizore continued. "You saved me from Kotsubo-sensei. You showed me that I didn't have to be alone."

"What they're all trying to say here is, 'You're not the big bastard you think you are!'" Gin yelled. "You messed up back on Ventara! We get that! But to act like you never did an ounce of good for anybody is just being stupid! You're a better man than you think you are! You make all these chicks really happy! You think a total bastard could do that!?"

_Quite the gang, that newspaper scum,_ Ishigami thought from her hiding place. _Even when the punk wants to die, they're all climbing over themselves to protect him._

"Are you quite through with the pep talk?" Kuyo asked as he unleashed more flame, with Onyx unleashing Dragblacker's flames to counter Kuyo's fire as Gin and the girls took cover. Once the smoke from the colliding flames faded away, they saw that Kuyo had transformed into a giant ethereal fox with four burning tails.

"Great," Onyx muttered. "A giant burning fox. Where have I seen this before?"

_

* * *

_

Good job, you little pukes . . .

Hitomi Ishigami thought. _Making Kuyo take you seriously is quite the feat in and of itself. But this is the end for you. You have no chance against him now that he's revealed himself to you. I suppose it's a form of art, seeing him like this – and seeing you all about to suffer so long and hard before your demise._ A cruel smirk found its way onto her face. _I'll stick around and watch._

"So, fill me in," Kamen Rider Onyx calmly requested. "What the hell is he?"

"He's a youko," Gin explained. "A fox hailing from the world of spirits. The strongest ones have nine tails and are worshipped as gods."

"He only has four," Onyx observed. "That's good, right?"

"No," Gin corrected. "Even at four tails, he's strong enough to burn us all off the face of the earth."

"I've experienced hotter flames than this guy," Onyx commented. "You should meet Kamen Rider Wrath some time."

"How can you be so freaking cocky?!" Gin asked. "This guy's a freaking spirit fox! One of the strongest yokai of all! And you're talking about him like he's nothing!"

Onyx chuckled slightly. "Frankly, I'm scared out of my mind. But I'm more scared of losing you all than I am of him. It's all good."

"Kamen Rider Onyx," Kuyo snarled. "You really are human, aren't you? Wherever that power you summoned came from, you're still a human at your core, and so you must die – lest you lead your fellow Riders to this world and start a war between us and the humans." He glared at the girls and Gin. "Why do you protect him?! Even knowing what he is, _why?!_"

"Didn't you hear anything?" Mizore asked calmly. "He saved us from our loneliness. He showed us what it was like to be truly loved. We will not let the likes of you harm him."

Onyx looked at Mizore, marveling at the strength of will that kept her in this place with him even though being a snow girl left her more susceptible to extreme heat than most beings. "Thank you," he spoke softly.

"We're all here for you, Adam," Moka said. "Whatever you are, whatever mistakes you've made, it doesn't matter now . . . because you are you – our precious knight."

"Hey, what the hell is your true form, anyway?" Gin asked. "That armor can't be it, so what is it? Not that I care or anything, but nobody else is going out of their way to hide theirs." He sniffed. "Ah, screw it. Like I wanna know what you really are, anyway."

"Bastards, all of you!" Kuyo yelled. "Not only do you know he's a human, you deliberately pretend not to know it! Scum! All of you are scum beyond any hope of redemption! Burn, all of you! _BURN!!_"

Kuyo's tails connected at their tips, generating a ball of flame that he hurled at them. Gin immediately moved in front of the girls, ready to take the hit for them. Reacting quickly, Onyx slotted an Advent Card into his Visor gauntlet.

_STRIKE VENT._

Black flames spewed from Dragblacker's mouth while the black dragon's body coiled protectively around the girls, countering Kuyo's fire attack. The resulting collision resulted in an explosion of heat and light and shockwaves that knocked everyone to the ground even if they weren't burned as badly as they could have or should have been.

"Damn . . ." Gin uttered. "What . . . power . . ."

Kuyo snarled. "That dragon you've bound, Kamen Rider . . . its power rivals mine! But without it . . . you will be nothing but another weak human, just as easily vanquished as any other!"

"Do your worst, Kuyo," Onyx challenged. "I'm not scared of you."

"You will be," Kuyo vowed, as fire lashed out around him, his aura expanding . . . and then contracting as he began to seemingly revert to human form.

"What is he doing?" Kurumu asked. "Is he saying he's so strong he can beat us even in human form?"

"No . . ." Yukari corrected. "That's not his human form at all!"

Indeed, Kuyo had shifted into what looked more like a hybrid of his human and yokai forms. He possessed a bare human upper body with fox ears and a fox's hind legs and four tails. Ornate black tattoos decorated his chest, upper arms, shoulders, and face. A calm, cruel smirk marred his otherwise handsome features, making him seem even more terrifying than he had as a pure spirit fox.

_He's concentrated his power,_ Onyx thought, _compressed it. Now what do we do?_

"Who wants to die first?" Kuyo asked.

Onyx glared at him, surrounded by the prone frames of his fellow Newspaper Clubbers, who'd all been crushed by the sheer lethal intent of Kuyo's aura. Even Dragblacker hadn't been able to protect them from that. Grimly, he slotted another Advent Card, prepared to keep up the fight no matter what happened to him.

_SWORD VENT._

Onyx brandished his Dark Drag Saber, pointing it at Kuyo. "You're going to leave them alone. You want me dead? Fine by me, but you _stay the hell away from them._ Understand me?"

"Marvelous, isn't it?" Kuyo mocked. "How they all fought so hard to protect you. And look at you, playing like you're ready to die for them all! Well, you dying alone won't be punishment enough for your defiance. No, you're going to suffer, and I know just how to do it." He pointed his flaming hand at Moka, who was struggling to her feet.

"How dare you, you bastard!" Onyx yelled, seized once again by a killing rage that drove him to lunge at Kuyo and slash at him with his sword. Kuyo just caught the blade with mocking ease, holding it and its wielder in place. "I _told you already!_ It's _me_ you want, so leave them out of this."

"Oh, but they're already in this," Kuyo rejoined. "They were in it the moment they befriended you, the moment you wormed your way into their hearts. They certainly wouldn't leave you to die by yourself, so I think it's only considerate of me that I send you all to suffer together in Hades' embrace."

"Spare the others," Onyx demanded. "That's the only way I'll accept my punishment. I don't mind dying to let this entire academy know what a monster you really are . . . how you've betrayed everyone you were supposed to protect." He chuckled bitterly. "We're not that different after all, are we? You and I were both sworn defenders of justice – and we both turned away from that ideal. That makes us both oath-breakers, doesn't it?"

Kuyo snarled. "You think . . . you're anything like me?! Arrogant human! Watch your comrades die – and keep your mouth shut!" He threw the fireball at Moka, who gazed at it in frightened paralysis, prepared to meet her end.

"_NO!_" Onyx shouted.

To both Moka's and Kuyo's surprise, the black-armored Kamen Rider had lunged in front of Moka and taken the fireball head-on. "What do you think you're doing, fool?" Kuyo asked irritably. "Didn't I tell you to _watch_ your comrades die?"

"_Adam!_" Moka cried out in horror and grief.

_What an interesting bastard,_ Ishigami thought from her hiding place. _Even with that armor of his, a full-on blast from Kuyo wouldn't be survivable. If I didn't hate him so much, I'd be touched by seeing him throw himself in front of that flame for that woman._

* * *

Kamen Rider Onyx collapsed, the flames having burned through his armor given the point-blank range at which he'd taken them. As Moka looked upon his fallen frame, she noticed that in his hand was her rosary – and she felt the familiar surge of power as her inner self took over.

"Moka . . ." Kurumu murmured as she started to get up. "What-what happened to Adam?"

_Those red eyes, that intense demonic aura . . . the woman who inflicted such wounds upon me,_ Ishigami thought, watching Inner Moka manifest, holding Onyx in her arms like a groom carrying a bride.

"Moka!" Kurumu cried out, running to them. "Adam's not moving! I'm not sure he's even breathing!"

"A vampire," Kuyo remarked. "The power of the Nosferatu running through their veins, an immortal demon without equal. I never thought I'd have the chance to meet one until now – but it doesn't matter! Even a vampire is nothing to me!"

"Adam," Inner Moka murmured, "if you can hear me, dispel your armor. I will protect you."

Onyx's armor glowed brightly and dissipated in a vertical ring that pulled apart from his body, revealing a badly burned and unconscious Adam. "Adam . . ." Kurumu uttered in sorrow from seeing how badly he'd been hurt.

"Move, Kurumu," Inner Moka ordered.

Kuyo watched Inner Moka, ready to defend himself against an attack from her. To his shock, she simply bit Adam's exposed neck. _Forgive me, Adam,_ she thought, _but I cannot let you die. Not here, not like this._

"What are you doing to him?" Mizore asked, cold anger beginning to creep into her voice.

"You can't be sucking his blood at a time like this!" Kurumu added.

Inner Moka pulled her mouth away from Adam's neck, revealing bloody holes in his skin the size of her fangs. "Kurumu, Mizore, watch over Adam," she ordered, setting him down gently. As she turned to face Kuyo, she explained herself. "I wasn't sucking his blood. I injected my own into him to save his life."

"I understand," Yukari said. "The blood of a vampire contains healing properties so strong vampires have been purported to be immortal. If it's in Adam's system . . . it'll probably heal him from the inside out."

"Then Adam can be saved!?" Kurumu uttered excitedly.

"Honestly, I don't know," Inner Moka admitted. "There are three problems using this method to revive someone. First . . . the success rate is low." She attacked Kuyo, hitting him with a barrage of powerful high kicks from multiple angles at high speed. Addressing him directly, "If Adam dies, I will rip your heart out of your chest and crush it in my own hands."

As Kuyo seemingly fell, Yukari cheered. "Yay! Moka is just as strong as ever!"

"No, wait – something's wrong," Kurumu uttered, realizing something. "Her usual overwhelming power – it's not there!"

"What?" Yukari asked, startled.

Kuyo marked his quick recovery with a blast of flame that knocked Inner Moka off her feet and to the ground. "Is that it? Is this all the ultimate demon can do? Not much you can do to me after all, is there?"

"The second problem . . ." Inner Moka admitted. "By giving so much of my blood, my power, to save Adam, I've weakened myself."

Kuyo chuckled mockingly. "Time to die."

He moved in for the kill, but Inner Moka continued to put a fight, hitting him with repeated kicks, but they had almost no effect on Kuyo, who retaliated with flame-engulfed punches that ultimately felled her. "_Moka!!_" Kurumu cried out.

"It's no use," Mizore murmured pessimistically. "She sacrificed her strength to save him, but it's no use if she can't defend herself against a yokai on the level of Kuyo."

"So weak," Kuyo mocked. "As if you weren't even a vampire at all. Is this what happens when you're drunk on love for a miserable human? You can repent for your stupidity with an eternity in hell." His tail tips rubbed together, making a spark that they fanned into a flame he was prepared to finish Inner Moka off with. To his surprise, something blocked the fireball from hitting her . . . and he could see a shadow within the flames, a shadow that was rushing toward him. "What _is this?!_"

The fiery shadow punched Kuyo in the face before darting away at high speed and coming back with a kick that sent him flying in the opposite direction. To Kuyo's shock, the fire surrounding the shadow was now being directed at _him._ By the time Kuyo managed to block, the shadow was no longer a shadow but a very solid entity fighting him – one that he recognized.

"Adam Taylor?!" Kuyo yelled. "This is insanity! You should be _dead!_ What in the hell _are_ you?!"

Adam chuckled softly, his hazel eyes now red with slit pupils just like Inner Moka's eyes. His hair color had faded from somewhat light brown to a silvery blond, and his hair had gotten long enough to frame his face and hang in his eyes in somewhat spiky locks. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked.

_This must be a vampire's power . . ._ Kurumu thought, relieved to see him healing so rapidly. _And thanks to Moka, Adam now has it inside him!_

"So you were never human to begin with!" Kuyo concluded. "Ishigami tricked me!"

Adam smirked. "Stings, doesn't it? To have the great Kuyo made such an obvious fool?"

"Shut up!" Kuyo yelled. "I'll burn you from the face of the earth, vampire _or_ human!"

Adam seemed to disappear, only to reemerge right in front of Kuyo. "Whatever." He grabbed Kuyo's fiery wrist and threw him across the room, then dashed across the distance to meet him, kicking him to the side with enough force to embed him within a wall. "You're so slow it's almost pathetic. Should I take pity on you? Let you score some free hits?"

Kuyo charged at Adam, blinded by outrage at how he was being mocked. He punched Adam with fiery fists, but Adam simply bobbed and weaved out of the way of every strike Kuyo attempted, and when he got bored, he started blocking those strikes with his bare hands, seemingly not minding the flames.

"And now the third problem," Inner Moka concluded, watching Adam fight Kuyo with such ease and fluidity of motion and reaction. "Even if he lives through this, I cannot be certain just what my blood will do to him."

"So you're saying . . ." Kurumu murmured, almost afraid to finish her sentence.

"The possibilities are numerous and many of them are not very optimal to Adam's well-being, physical or psychological," Inner Moka admitted.

Getting too bored to bother any longer, Adam blocked Kuyo's last strike and used his free hand to perform a palm thrust that knocked Kuyo into the wall. "He's done." He turned away from Kuyo and walked toward Inner Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore. "How do you like me now?"

"Don't get so drunk on your new power," Inner Moka replied warily. "Besides, he's not as done as you think he is." She darted past Adam and grabbed Kuyo, forcefully restraining him. "Now, Adam. Finish him."

Adam smiled darkly and turned to Dragblacker, who roared in acknowledgement. He bent for a half-crouch with one leg stretched forward and the other folded back as Dragblacker coiled around him, prepared to lend him its strength. Taking off like a bullet, Adam launched himself into a flying kick boosted further by Dragblacker's flames – and Moka's blood – impacting Kuyo hard enough to send him crashing into a wall and into the embrace of Morpheus.

"Whoa . . ." a just-recovering Gin uttered, seeing what Adam had done.

"That was fun," Adam remarked casually before suddenly feeling too weak to stand. He collapsed into Mizore's arms, his hair darkening back to its normal shade of brown and his eyes shifting from red with slit pupils to hazel with round pupils.

"Adam!" Kurumu shouted.

"He's all right," Inner Moka said. "All that happened was that he spent all the power I gave him. His wounds have healed, and he should awaken as his normal self."

"That's great, Adam!" Kurumu squealed gleefully. Of course, Adam wasn't exactly conscious to hear it.

Inner Moka looked at the also-unconscious Kuyo. "Well? You don't have a problem with Adam attending this school anymore, do you?" Smirking briefly, she took Adam from Mizore and carried him out of the Academy Enforcers' headquarters, Mizore, Kurumu, Yukari, and Gin following. Just as they'd left, some unlucky underling of Kuyo's had found his unconscious body.

"What the hell?!" he shouted. "Help! Help! Somebody help! Captain Kuyo has been –!"

They weren't the only ones leaving, though. Ishigami had decided to cut her losses and leave as well before getting chased down by the nearest district's police. She had to admit, that Newspaper Club made quite the interesting opponents. The next meeting would be even better, she assured herself, especially as she wasn't going to let them get the better of her that time.

* * *

As Adam lay recovering in the medical ward of Yokai Academy, the girls heard a rustling inside. Fearing for Adam's safety, they rushed inside immediately to find out who the intruder was and get him the hell away from their knight. When they got inside, they saw a man in a black leather trench coat over black clothes with short black hair standing at Adam's bedside.

"Who are you?" Kurumu asked.

The man turned to them, revealing a face like that of a handsome gentleman nearing middle age. "My name is Eubulon. I'm the Advent Master, and your friend and I go back a long way."

"Go back a long way? How?" Yukari asked.

"I'm the one that taught him how to be a Kamen Rider," Eubulon replied. "When he wakes up, we need to talk."

Next: Trial of the Advents

* * *

End Notes: Extra-special, extra-long chapter to ring in the New Year! Hope you all enjoyed this double-sized piece of action! Now that Eubulon's arrived, will he be bringing the other Kamen Riders of Ventara? Just what does he have to do with Yokai Academy, and does it have anything to do with how Adam enrolled in the first place? Plus, just what's Adam's real connection to Kuyo . . . or is it even Kuyo at all?

I should mention that with Eubulon showing up and the Ventaran Riders having more of a role in this story, it'll seriously deviate from the normal path of the R+V manga. Much of the general plots will still happen, but the specific details will greatly change with the Riders' intervention, especially with the true nature of Adam's delusions of Xaviax revealed. Just what is going on here, and will everyone survive long enough to find out? For the answers to those questions and others, tune in next time and let's ride together then.


	13. Trial of the Advents

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 13: "Trial of the Advents"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story, nor do I receive other material compensation for writing it. I only do this for fun.

Author's note: Kicked off the New Year with a bang, didn't I? Of course, that was only the harbinger of things to come in this story. With the intervention of Eubulon and the other Ventaran Riders, as well as Americanized versions of other KR series, this story will no longer be a straight imitation of the original Rosario + Vampire plot with Adam/Onyx in Tsukune's place. Things are going to seriously change around here, and this story is going to be kicked into high gear as the Newspaper Club learns the truth of Adam's past and the things that haunt his sleeping and waking moments.

Are you ready, people? Let's ride!

* * *

The girls and Gin looked at Eubulon in astonishment. They had wondered for a long time just how Adam had become a Kamen Rider, and who would have elected him to serve as one in the first place. Now, they realized their questions could be answered, and hopefully this man would be more forthcoming than Adam had been.

"You're the one who taught Adam to be a Kamen Rider?" Moka asked, regaining her voice first.

"Yes," Eubulon replied. "I taught him and 11 others. Unfortunately, our enemy exploited his feelings for a girl named Sarah to convince him to turn on us, made him believe he could have a normal life with her if he became his loyal servant." He gazed sadly on Adam. "I shouldn't have been gone for so long. If I hadn't, maybe I could have helped him see past our enemy's deception."

"How did he get here in the first place?" Gin asked. "Humans aren't supposed to know about this place."

"I made a deal with the chairman of the school board here," Eubulon explained. "The deal included Adam being allowed to come here as a student, and rediscover his will to live – and to fight for the side of good." He looked at the girls and smiled softly. "I see it's worked, for the most part."

"Did he leave . . . because he thought he was unwanted?" Mizore inquired softly.

"Yes," Eubulon admitted. "Even when we forgave him, he refused to forgive himself – or to believe that we were sincere in our forgiveness of him. The guilt ate him up, like a cancer festering within him . . . and not all of it was properly his."

"What do you mean?" Gin asked.

"I'm saying, our enemy is not as dead as I believed him to be," Eubulon answered. "However he managed to come back, breaking Adam was his number-one objective, to punish him for rejecting him and choosing our side over his."

"Are you saying Adam's possessed?" Kurumu surmised.

Moka remembered the cruel smirk on Adam's face when Ishigami had revealed herself, as well as his vicious taunts of Kuyo when he'd fought to save her using powers she'd never seen him demonstrate. _That would explain his behavior back there . . ._ Inner Moka thought to herself.

"It's incomplete," Eubulon explained. "The way he's managed it, the only way it can be complete is if Adam himself consciously gives in. Of course, I'm not going to give our enemy that chance."

He placed a softly glowing hand over Adam's chest, and then plunged that hand into Adam's chest, seemingly phasing through his skin. "What are you doing?!" Yukari asked.

"Cleansing him," Eubulon replied simply, as bluish-white energy pulsed through Adam's body. To his shock, the energy began to darken, turning black as it swirled around Adam and forced Eubulon off him, knocking him to the ground. "No . . ."

"Yes," "Adam" whispered cruelly, rising to his feet. "I should thank you, old friend. It would have taken me forever to get him to break."

"Xaviax!" Eubulon snapped.

"That's _General_ Xaviax to you, traitor," "Adam" spat.

"What's going on?" Gin asked.

"Ah, Eubulon didn't tell you?" Xaviax-in-Adam asked mockingly. "Your friend Adam didn't tell you? And I thought you all got along so well. I'm sure he'd tell his friends about me. Oh, that's right; he doesn't _have_ friends." A cruel smirk punctuated his words.

"Get out of Adam right now!" Kurumu yelled.

"Why?" Xaviax asked. "He's a nice fit. Maybe not as nice as Wrath, but he's got his own interesting features." He smirked.

Eubulon snarled and drew his Advent Deck, thrusting it out to form his Advent Belt. "Kamen Rider." He slammed the Advent Deck into the center of the Advent Belt, which locked in around the deck to trigger his transformation into Kamen Rider Zero. A protective sphere of gold-bronze energy surrounded him as black armor with orange highlights and a bulky silver Visor gauntlet formed over his clothes.

Xaviax smirked, his eyes flashing red with slit pupils just before doing a cartwheel over the bed in which Adam had been recovering and kicking Eubulon in the chest, staggering him. Eubulon retaliated with a punch, but Xaviax caught it and threw him over to the girls and Gin with inhuman strength. Xaviax jumped over the bed again, launching himself into a flying kick.

_SPEED VENT._

Eubulon darted behind Xaviax and grabbed him by the shoulder, throwing him into the bed. "How did you survive the Link Vent?!"

"How?" Xaviax echoed mockingly as he got up. "Let's just say there were some entities that were impressed enough by my activities to want to keep me around. I said, 'Sure, why not?' and joined them. I'm even their boss now."

The girls were frozen in terror as he spoke. The aura radiating from him was completely inhuman, as though there was an utter void of compassion or decency or any positive emotion or impulse. He drew back his fist, that same inhuman aura concentrating itself into the appendage, and thrust it out, opening his hand to generate spears of psychic force that impaled the girls and Gin. Outraged, Eubulon swiped another Advent Card through his Visor.

_SWORD VENT._

* * *

A barbed lance emerged in his hands and Eubulon attacked Xaviax with it. "What kind of monster have you become?!"

Xaviax chuckled as he dodged Eubulon's swings. "Can you believe that I did that just to hear Adam suffer?"

"Suffer? Why?!" Eubulon asked.

"He betrayed me," Xaviax replied simply. "He chose to join your side, to throw in his lot with you instead of staying on the winning side. And after all I gave him . . . ungrateful little bastard. So hearing him scream at me for laying a finger on his precious girls is really quite satisfying for me."

Eubulon snarled. "Monster!"

"He was your favorite, wasn't he?" Xaviax asked. "Kind of reminded you of the son you lost fighting for me, and that's why you doted on him so much. Well, guess what? He's mine now, and I'm not letting go any time soon."

"You'll let him go," Eubulon vowed. "You'll let him go even if I have to rip you out of him!"

"You tried that before," Xaviax taunted. "For all the good that did; you helped me a lot more than you hurt me." He kicked the lance out of Eubulon's hands and then spun to kick Eubulon again, this time in the solar plexus, knocking him back as he pulled out the Onyx Deck and thrust it out, summoning the Advent Belt. "It's my turn. Kamen Rider!"

Just as Xaviax initiated the transformation into Kamen Rider Onyx, Gin chose that moment to go wolf and attack him. Unfortunately for him, the protective sphere of red-tinged black energy that formed the Onyx Armor knocked him back as the transformation completed itself. Gin's eyes rolled up in the back of his head, the repulsion having been so forceful that it was all he could do to remain conscious.

"Gin!" Moka shouted.

Xaviax grinned in satisfaction as he flexed his fingers. "I always liked Onyx's armor. Versatile, balanced, and not a bad color scheme." He eyed Eubulon as he drew a card. "Now, shall we continue?" He opened the Drag Visor and slotted his card, slamming the Drag Visor shut to activate said card.

_SWORD VENT._

The black Drag Saber appeared in Xaviax's hand and he pointed it at Eubulon, who lashed out with his lance, throwing arcs of blue fire at Xaviax, who just sliced through them with his sword. He charged at Eubulon, who met him with a kick to his armored midsection. The kick knocked Xaviax onto the ground, but he came up rolling and took a battle-ready stance.

"Would you like me to tell you about a young man I met today?" Xaviax taunted. "He's the Earth counterpart of the man that was supposed to be your successor as the Advent Master, right, Eubulon?"

"How do you know about Tobi?" Eubulon asked.

"I know because Adam knows," Xaviax replied. He tapped the side of his masked head. "Remember? I'm in his head, I'm in his _soul._ You can't get rid of me that easily. But back to the point of this: Tobi's Earth counterpart is a very, very bad boy. So much blood and tears he wrung out of Adam . . . well, he was crying on the inside, seeing what a total bastard his other best friend's Earth twin turned out to be."

The sadistic smirk in Xaviax's tone made the girls and Gin want to beat nine shades of hell out of him. The only thing that was stopping them was that Xaviax was wearing Adam's body and armor like a stolen tuxedo, and they were worried that fighting Xaviax would mean hurting Adam. As if sensing their thoughts, Eubulon stared into their eyes through his visor and spoke.

"That is not Adam. Xaviax has hijacked his body and is using his face to manipulate you. That's what he does – he finds your weakness, your desire, and he uses it to make you a pawn in his sick games, a pawn that he has no problem sacrificing to further his own ends. He is the antithesis of everything the Kamen Riders stand for."

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" Xaviax mocked. "And if I'm so antithetical to everything your precious Riders stand for, how come it was so easy for me to get Adam to join me?"

"You manipulated him," Eubulon accused. "You preyed on his desire for a normal life with the one he loved, and then you dangled her in front of him like a carrot on a stick to convince him to submit to your puppetry. And when that didn't work, you made him think nobody loved him or wanted him except you to reinforce his decision to betray us! You're a _monster!_"

"By your standards," Xaviax retorted. "I was merely doing what was necessary for our world to be reborn. _You're_ the one who turned on all that to save two worlds full of backward brutes destined to self-destruction." He laughed and turned to the girls and Gin. "This school, it's a place for 'monsters' to learn to coexist with humans so they can hide in plain sight and not risk getting hunted down and slaughtered like dogs by some fanatical demon slayer, right?"

"What's that to you, anyway?" Kurumu asked, getting angry.

"Why even bother coexisting with humans?" Xaviax asked almost lazily. "They can't even coexist when they think they're the only sentient life on the planet, much less the universe. You think they're gonna throw a welcoming party for you once more than a handful of them figure out that vampires, succubae, witches, snow girls, werewolves, and all that are _real?_ The handful that already knows interacts with your kind mostly in the form of a shotgun to the face or a 'blessed blade' to the heart. And that's just what they do to the _non_humans! Imagine how bad they are to _each other!_"

"Shut up!" Moka yelled. "I can't stand hearing you talk like that! Using his voice! Using his body to hurt him and hurt us! Eubulon's right! You're a monster!"

"Yeah!" Yukari agreed vehemently. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Xaviax chuckled darkly. "Don't. Know. What. I'm. Talking. About? _Don't know what I'm talking about?_" The next thing Yukari knew, Xaviax had her in a telekinetic choke grip, and the Onyx armor grew very disturbing-looking spikes on the harder parts. "Since my untimely 'demise,' I've been granted a gift. I'm hooked right into the hearts and minds and souls of every sentient life-form in the cosmos, and what have I found? I've found wrath, lust, greed, envy, and pride – all of which I frankly adore, because _that's_ the truth! That's what we all are, deep down, a delectable smorgasbord of unthinking hate and blind rage and selfish avarice and callous ambition and unbridled lust!"

Mizore's ice claws came out and she lunged at Xaviax to slash him with those ice claws. "I don't care if you're in Adam's body. You are not Adam. You are a poison polluting his body and soul . . . and I'm going to carve you out."

If Mizore had accomplished anything, it was diverting Xaviax's focus enough to let Yukari loose, with Moka, Kurumu, and Gin darting over to her. "Are you all right?" Gin asked.

"Yeah, but that energy . . . that evil aura . . . it nearly suffocated me!" Yukari replied, obviously shaken.

"You know, under different circumstances, Adam would like this a lot," Xaviax commented offhandedly. "Of course, his loyalty to Moka won't let him enjoy it that much, but still . . ."

"Shut up!" Mizore yelled, but her flare-up of jealousy-provoked anger was enough distraction for Xaviax to punch her in the jaw and shove her off him. He straightened up, glaring at his foes.

"Anyone else like to try?" he asked.

"You bastard!" Kurumu yelled, unleashing her claws, wings, and tail as she revealed her true form and rushed at him. "Get out of him! Get out of my Destined One's body!"

Xaviax dodged, but not before being clipped by Kurumu's claws. "Fast. And those claws are pretty sharp. Guess I know who not to piss off in this harem."

_SPEED VENT._

Xaviax got slashed in the back by Eubulon wielding his lance, which knocked him off-balance enough for Eubulon to continue swinging at him. After a few slashes, Xaviax had enough and blocked with the Drag Saber, pushing back against Eubulon's assault. "Sneak attack, huh? Guess you still have a little bit of that _bite_ to you, after all."

Just then, the door was blown off its hinges by a powerful and familiar demonic aura. It wasn't as strong as they knew it, but it was still strong enough to knock them back, especially with the injuries Xaviax had dealt them. "As if things couldn't get any worse," Gin remarked in a sotto voice.

"Adam Taylor," a battered, bruised, bloody, but not quite beaten Kuyo snarled. "You're going to die here."

"Oh, yes," Xaviax remarked. "Definitely a far cry from that sweet boy I knew once."

"You mock me!?" Kuyo yelled. "Burn!" He threw a fireball at Xaviax, who bisected it with his Drag Saber, coated in his own wicked aura.

"I don't have time for you," Xaviax said. "Go away." He telekinetically blasted Kuyo away with enough psychokinetic force to almost permanently embed him into the hall. He turned back to Eubulon. "I'm hoping you didn't come alone; it'd be a shame if you were to die here by yourself. Of course, you won't be alone, what with Adam's cute little girlfriends here to follow you. And the Riders will certainly be joining you soon enough."

Xaviax turned back to the girls. "And really, what's the point of a school that teaches you how to coexist with humans if that same school's ready to execute any human that's found lurking on campus? Doesn't that fly in the face of coexistence? How's _that_ for a serious disconnect between rhetoric and action?" He laughed, as though it were some joke that he and only he properly understood.

"You said it yourself," Gin retorted. "Humans would kill us if they had the chance."

"And _you'd_ kill _them_ if you had the chance, too," Xaviax answered with cool smugness. "There are no innocents here, or anywhere else. We're _all_ monsters." He smirked beneath the Onyx mask. "I'm just ahead of the curve."

_NASTY VENT._

* * *

A giant mechanical black bat flew in screeching, and the noise set off Gin's hypersensitive hearing. Xaviax nearly buckled to the ground in agony, but he and Eubulon stayed upright, being familiar with that painful sound unlike the girls and Gin. Xaviax gritted his teeth, knowing full well where that attack had come from.

"Wing Knight."

Just then, a man in dark blue armor with a silver breastplate shaped like a bat and a mask designed to resemble a pointy-eared knight's visor came out of the mirror swinging a large black lance at Xaviax, who blocked it with the Drag Saber. "You're like a cockroach," the armored man spat. "Always coming back when we think we've seen the last of you."

"I could say the same about you Kamen Riders," Xaviax retorted. "Isn't that right, _Len?_"

Kamen Rider Wing Knight snarled and kicked Xaviax in the chest. "I won't let you use his body like this."

"Everyone's so fond of saying that," Xaviax commented dryly. "What's wrong with me using his body? Not like he's done that much good with it."

_STRIKE VENT._

A mechanical dragon identical to Dragblacker, only colored red, slithered in aerially and breathed fire at Xaviax, who retaliated with Onyx's Strike Vent. "Dragon Knight. Kit, Kit, Kit."

A man in armor resembling Onyx's except colored mostly red with a silver face grill and breastplate, came out to join Wing Knight. He was followed by a man in black-and-purple armor with a cobra motif and holding a drill-like sword, a woman in white-and-black armor modeled after a swan and holding a golden dual-bladed naginata, and a man in black armor with wine-red and gold accents modeled after a phoenix and wielding dual swords. Kamen Riders Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, Strike, Siren, and Wrath were together, and all of them were surrounding Xaviax with Eubulon.

"There's nowhere for you to run," Kamen Rider Wrath declared.

"Who said I was running?" Xaviax asked. "_I'm_ not trapped here with _you._ _You're_ trapped here with _me._"

That was the moment Xaviax went berserk, fighting the Riders with all the viciousness and ruthless abandon of a true demon. Kamen Rider Strike got a kick to the gut that sent him flying out of the room, while Kamen Riders Siren and Wing Knight attempted to double-team him and got slashed brutally with the black Drag Saber. Dragon Knight attempted to attack with his own Drag Saber, only for Xaviax to block his slash and jab him viciously in the stomach with his knee before slamming his elbow into his host's alternate's back and kicking him aside.

Xaviax glared at Kamen Rider Wrath and Eubulon, just before Wrath disappeared in a flurry of feathers. Using his new body's enhanced senses from his recent infusion of vampire blood, he whirled and kicked Wrath just as Wrath was about to attack him from behind. Wrath skidded back, only for Xaviax to dart behind him in a burst of speed and slash him in the back with the black Drag Saber.

"How?" Wrath asked.

"You think I don't know by now that those feathers are part of an illusion to disguise your comings and goings?" Xaviax mocked. "You forget; I _had_ your powers at one point."

"Only by doing to my counterpart what you're doing to Adam right now," Wrath retorted indignantly.

"You're just pissed I figured out your best trick," Xaviax sneered.

Just then, Gin attacked Xaviax, intending to use his speed to get the better of his foe. Unfortunately, Xaviax was still tapping the vampire blood dormant in Adam's veins, giving him a reservoir of demonic power to channel into speed outmatching Gin's. He ultimately felled Gin with a chop to the neck.

"Adam!" Wing Knight called out. "Fight him! You've got to!"

"Why should he?" Xaviax asked. "It's not like you care about him. Otherwise you'd have chased him down as soon as you found out he'd left for this academy . . . and with the Onyx Deck in his hands."

"Is that what you're feeding him?" Wing Knight asked. "The old 'nobody wants you but me' line? Adam wouldn't fall for that this time."

"You sure?" Xaviax taunted. "He's always been weak. He actually came here to die as 'proper penance' for what he helped me do to Ventara, but throw a few pretty faces in front of him, and he's finding excuses to live."

"That's where you're wrong," Wing Knight said. "Adam was never weak. Confused, but never weak. He always found something or someone to fight for. Before, it was Ventara. Then it was Sarah. And now, now he's found these people. He's found people who love him, who can look at him without guarded eyes and see the man I always knew he was, the man I always knew he could be, the man I was honored to call my best friend, my brother."

The midnight blue-armored Kamen Rider stood up, pointing the Wing Lancer at Xaviax. "I _won't_ let you abuse him like this anymore, and I know he can hear this, so I'm saying this to _Adam_ – whatever you think of yourself, whatever you think I think of you or anyone else thinks of you, you're my best friend. That didn't change. That won't change now."

"He's right!" Moka shouted. "You're not worthless, Adam! You never were! You've saved me so many times, even when I tried to push you away! You're everything to me!"

Suddenly, Xaviax dropped the black Drag Saber, stiffening like a rod. "You . . . you . . ." he growled. "This is _my_ body now! You shut up and suffer quietly!"

"Adam, fight him!" Eubulon encouraged. "You know the truth now! You know what you are and what you could be. Be _that_ man, not what _Xaviax_ wants you to be!"

Xaviax growled, about to blast Eubulon with another telekinetic assault when Adam's hand grabbed his own throat. "Get . . . what are you doing?"

Adam's voice came through, strained with effort. "Stopping you. I've let you manipulate me too long. Using my feelings for Sarah, using my guilt to control me, make me dance for you like a puppet. All that ends tonight, you bastard."

"You think you'd have survived Kuyo without me?" Xaviax asked. "You think you'd have kept Sarah safe without me?"

Adam brutally elbowed himself in the stomach, the force knocking him to the ground as he began to thrash, struggling viciously within the battlefield of his mind and soul to oust Xaviax. In the real world, bloodcurdling screams ripped out from Adam's throat, somewhat distorted by his mask. The Kamen Riders, Eubulon, Gin, and the girls watched him, pained that they couldn't do anymore to help him.

"The mental struggle is his to win," Eubulon murmured. "We cannot intervene in this."

Mizore kneeled down and took Adam's gauntleted hand in her own hands. "I'm here, Adam. You don't have to worry about being alone, because I'm here . . ." She looked up at the others. "We're all here. Even your friends from that place behind the mirrors are here. We love you, Adam, and we want you to come back to us. Please . . ." An icy tear dropped onto Adam's mask, and a final scream wrenched forth from him before he suddenly went very still.

"Now!" Eubulon shouted, slamming his glowing fist into Adam's chest and pulling dark energy out. The dark energy coalesced into an imposing black figure with glowing red eyes and horns vaguely resembling a stag beetle's antlers. Just as Eubulon was about to punch that spectral figure, who was none other than General Xaviax, with a glowing fist, Xaviax made a break for it, phasing through the mirrored window. "No!"

"Don't worry, Master," Wrath said. "The Riders who stayed back to guard the base should be more than capable of handling him."

"Perhaps, but I fear for what he has in mind after this," Eubulon replied.

"Master?" Kurumu asked, and gave Eubulon a sideways look that said something wasn't computing for her.

"It's a term of respect in reference to him being the one that taught us all how to be Kamen Riders," Wing Knight replied. "Like a student at a dojo calls his or her sensei 'Master.'"

"Is he going to be all right?" Yukari asked timidly.

"Yes," Eubulon replied. "With positive reinforcement, his nightmares should be a thing of the past."

"Nightmares?" Moka asked.

"You didn't think someone could betray their entire world, even if it was for love, and not have nightmares from that experience, did you?" Eubulon asked somewhat sardonically.

"He was having nightmares . . ." Moka murmured. "No wonder he was looking so bad . . . he couldn't sleep. And we didn't know . . . _I_ didn't know . . . why didn't he say anything?"

"Adam's always been the kind of person to suffer in silence if he thinks he'll only cause more problems by admitting he _has_ problems," Strike answered.

Siren smiled underneath her mask, looking at Mizore's protective hovering over Adam with mild amusement. "Reminds me a lot of someone I know," she mused aloud, looking at Wing Knight.

* * *

The Kamen Riders all disengaged their armors, revealing themselves to the girls and Gin. Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore were all stunned when they saw Dragon Knight's unmasked visage. "You . . . you . . ." Moka stuttered.

"You look exactly like Adam!" Kurumu shouted, half-accusingly and half-adoringly.

"Kit and Adam are mirror twins," the unmasked Wing Knight, a young-looking handsome man in black with short black hair and dark eyes, explained. "Kit's from Earth, and Adam's from Ventara. Kit's Dragon Knight now, but Adam was the original and when he retired from the life for good, Kit became the permanent Dragon Knight."

Kit Taylor just smiled. "Nice to meet you guys. Wish it wasn't like this, though."

"No problem . . ." Kurumu replied dreamily.

"So I suppose you don't want Adam anymore?" Yukari jibed.

Kurumu snapped out of it. "Of course I want Adam! He's mine!"

"No, he's mine and Moka's!" Yukari retorted.

"He doesn't belong to any of you," Mizore spoke in a threatening whisper. "He belongs to me."

"Uh, is something going on between all of you and him that we should be clued in on?" Len, Kamen Rider Wing Knight, asked, raising his eyebrow.

The unmasked Kamen Rider Strike, a handsome young-looking man with dark blond hair and big, clear, almost innocent blue eyes, stared oddly at the girls. "I've never sensed such blatant attraction before."

The unmasked Kamen Rider Wrath, a handsome, powerfully built man with short brown hair matted to his head, just looked at their questioning expressions with a slight smile. "Price can read people's auras."

The unmasked Kamen Rider Siren, a beautiful blonde in black, smiled with amusement. "Never thought I'd see the day Adam would have so many pretty girls fighting over him."

The girls were slightly embarrassed, but jealousy was the somewhat more prominent emotion they felt. Siren was a beautiful woman with looks befitting a model and obvious battle skill, given that she was a Kamen Rider. Those things marked her as potential competition for Adam's heart, and she already knew him better than any of them did, giving her the inside track.

"Well, Adam's blessed in that department, but you look fine," Gin remarked, having reverted to human form and now pointing his winning smile at the unmasked Siren, otherwise known as Kase. "Say we grab a cup of coffee sometime?"

Kase looked into that gorgeous smile and didn't even blink. "I'm with someone."

"Aw, man . . ." Gin groaned. "I've been having no luck with women since Adam showed up. Is this a Kamen Rider thing, the power to screw over guys like me who are just trying to find some love?"

"You won't find that grabbing every girl's boobs," Yukari teased Gin.

"It's not like _you_ have anything up there," Gin teased back. He turned to Kase. "And who's this guy you're with, anyway?"

Len cleared his throat, prompting Gin to look at him and see a warning death glare fixed on him. Gin shuddered with primal terror, something he didn't believe was possible with anyone except Kuyo. _Damn . . ._ he thought. _I mess with this guy or his chick, and I'm dead._ His shoulders sagged, an acknowledgment of his defeat.

"What happens now?" Moka asked.

"We'll take care of him," Eubulon replied. "I'll talk to the Board Chairman and try to smooth everything out with him."

"You mean the Board Chairman knows?!" Gin asked.

"Not so loud," Mizore murmured. "You'll wake Adam up."

"Just don't rape him in his sleep, you stalker," Kurumu snapped semi-amiably.

"That's something more up your alley, you shameless floozy," Mizore answered coolly.

The Kamen Riders just gave the two girls, who were now in a heated staring contest with each other, with looks of confusion (Kit and Len), befuddlement (Price), mild amusement (Wrath and Kase), and plain concern (Eubulon).

"What interesting company you're in, Adam . . ." Eubulon murmured to himself.

Next: Riders and Vampires

End Notes: There you have it, the thirteenth chapter of "Onyx and Vampire" is finished, and with wall-to-wall action, no less! Plus, the Kamen Riders have finally made their proper appearance within this story, which will be the seed for things to come for Moka and the others, as well as Yokai Academy itself! If you want to know what those things are, you'll just have to find out for yourself by reading the next chapter! Till next time, let's ride!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendou!

"That was a fun experience, wasn't it?" Kurumu asked, sitting behind a reporter's desk. "We got to see so many Kamen Riders!"

"And they're all so handsome!" Yukari added.

"Not to mention they're really snappy dressers," Kurumu interjected. "Speaking of snappy dressers . . . here's our man Adam, Kamen Rider Onyx!"

A screen appeared behind the two girls featuring Kamen Rider Onyx in his armored state. Kurumu stood up and took out a long pointer rod before tapping Onyx's mask with it. "This Solid Face grill protects Adam's handsome face from harm whenever he fights as a Kamen Rider!"

"And this chest armor keeps his ribcage from collapsing on itself when he's hit hard!" Yukari added, drawing Kurumu's pointer rod over to the black armor covering Onyx's chest.

Kurumu's pointer rod moved to Onyx's Advent Belt. "This in the center is the Advent Deck, the source of the Kamen Rider's powers and armor. When inserted into the center of the Advent Belt, it spins around and generates an energy sphere to protect the Rider while he transforms. Good thing, too; wouldn't want some clever bad guy to catch him in mid-change!"

"No way!" Yukari agreed. "Not to mention it's a really cheap move!"

Kurumu moved her pointer rod up to the dragon-headed gauntlet on Onyx's left arm. "This is the Visor, where cards from the Advent Deck are slotted to summon the Rider's weapons or special abilities. Adam's favorites are Sword Vent, which gives him a sword made out of his Advent Beast's tail, and Strike Vent, which gives him a claw made out of his Advent Beast's head that he can use for a fire attack!"

"Sword Vent seems to be pretty common with Kamen Riders," Yukari remarked. "I've seen Wing Knight's, and it's really big!"

"It's not the size of the sword, Yukari, but the skill of the swordsman," Kurumu admonished, only to blush when the implications of what she just said came to mind.

"And Wrath has _two_ swords!" Yukari added. "So cool!"

"Not as cool as Adam's sword!" Kurumu insisted.

Yukari giggled. "Do you wanna _see_ his sword?"

"Yeah!" Kurumu answered, smiling gleefully. "I'd just love to feel it, too!"

"You big pervert!" Yukari accused. "Adam's sword is for me and Moka only!"

"No, it's not!" Kurumu shouted, beginning to chase Yukari.

"And that's it for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Yukari shouted. "Next time, we check out Kamen Rider Torque!"


	14. Riders and Vampires

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 14: "Riders and Vampires"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story and I am only doing it for fun.

Author's note: Enjoyed the last several chapters of awesomeness? Good, I'm glad you did, because there's a lot more where that came from! Will the Kamen Riders remain in the world of monsters to watch over Adam, and if they do, how will they avoid being revealed as humans? For that matter, what does Xaviax want and what will he do to get it? And just what's going to happen to Adam, the girls, and Gin from here, especially now that the Academy Enforcers have fallen at Adam's hand? For the answers to those questions and others, hang on for the ride!

Special note: All thanks to Kamen Rider Chrome and Kamen Rider Blaze for their aid in bouncing off ideas for this story.

* * *

"Eubulon . . ." a deep, ominous voice greeted from the shadows of the office, the only thing indicating its source being a pair of glowing eyes like the pits of hell itself. "I am quite worried for the future of your Rider here."

"As well you should be," Eubulon addressed. "You should also be worried about the future of your academy."

"And what makes you say that?" the voice asked.

"You and I agreed to this for the purpose of testing the readiness of yokai to coexist with humans," Eubulon explained. "The results aren't encouraging."

"Indeed," the voice admitted. If Eubulon didn't know better, he'd swear the man was smirking. "Which is why I have a suggestion."

"What would that be?" Eubulon inquired.

"You break it, you buy it," the voice answered. "It's a human saying indicating that the one who caused the damage has the responsibility of fixing it. Your Rider broke the Student Police. He exposed their corruption and vanquished them. I say, if there is still to be any hope of order within this academy, he should reorganize the Student Police – with himself at the head."

"Are you sure about this?" Eubulon asked.

"If he insists on brutalizing everyone who so much as lays a finger on his precious Miss Akashiya, then he ought to have some manner of official license to do it," the voice remarked dryly. "Besides, it's the only way I can protect him from being executed for killing Okuto Kotsubo, even if that despicable man had it coming for what he did to Miss Shirayuki."

"Executed?" Eubulon repeated incredulously. "Who exactly intends to execute him?"

"There are people on the board who think your Rider is more trouble than he's worth, even if he's limited his violence to people who actually _were_ endangering the well-being of the student body," the voice explained. "Plus, the previous Student Police had some level of support among those who still have issues trusting humans – or even respecting their right to exist."

"Politics," Eubulon muttered with distaste.

"It permeates everything we do," the voice confessed. "The web of vested interests and agendas and ideologies that must be untangled before anything can be accomplished." The man seemed to cheer up, if the glint in his glowing eyes was any indication. "Of course, your Rider has the option of recruiting within the student body proper, and you have the option of sticking around to keep him on the straight and narrow path. We don't want another Kuyo, after all."

Eubulon nodded. He held a hand over his ear, as though processing something. "I must be going now. I will tell Adam the news."

"Good, and let him know that I will be having one of our faculty members help you keep an eye on him," the voice added. "It'll ease the minds of some people if they think we're not just letting our enforcement be completely handled by outsiders."

Eubulon spared a brief smirk before leaving the office. "You could always light this place. It would be a much more welcoming atmosphere."

"Where's the fun in that?" the voice asked sardonically.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, Adam woke up to find something very soft resting on his head like some warm, squishy pillow. Seeing yellow, he quickly realized that the soft, warm, squishy thing on his head was Kurumu's chest . . . and Kurumu was lying on his bed, partly next to him and partly on top of him.

His eyes widened with surprise, but that was nothing compared to what he found when he shifted his head a little, prompting a soft coo from Kurumu. Specifically, he found Moka lying on his other side, her hand resting on his chest. A closer look revealed Yukari with her arms around his waist and her head dangerously close to his groin.

_Where's Mizore?_ Adam wondered. Then he answered himself. _Under the bed, most likely._

Sure enough, when he peered over the side of his bed, she was right there, smiling serenely at him from her crouching position. "Welcome back, Adam."

"Thanks, Mizore," Adam whispered.

Just then, the other girls woke up, too. "Adam!" they squealed happily, hugging him tighter.

"Kurumu!" Adam attempted to shout, but his cry was suffocated by her generous bust in his face.

"Let go of his face, boob girl," Mizore demanded, pointing an ice spike at Kurumu.

Just as a fight was about to break out, the five Kamen Riders that had accompanied Eubulon entered the room, followed by one more, a young-looking man with a shock of dark hair and eyes that seemed to constantly glitter with amusement. All six Riders were dressed in what appeared to be the standard uniform – black jackets with badges designed after their symbols on the upper left side and black pants with black boots and a black shirt underneath the jacket.

"Wow, I'd have never expected little Adam to get so popular with girls," the dark-haired man with a golden ox symbol on his jacket remarked.

"Chance?" Adam asked, having managed to liberate his face from Kurumu's breasts.

"Yeah, it's me, Adam," Chance confirmed, smiling. "I'd ask how you've been, but it seems to me you're all right."

Kurumu looked between Adam and Kit confusedly. "I will never get used to this! Two of you!"

"Uh, yeah," Kit said. "It's a bit confusing for us, too."

Len punched Kit in the shoulder affectionately. "I can tell you two apart."

"Who's he?" Yukari asked, looking at Chance.

"Kamen Rider Torque, at your service, little lady," Chance replied gallantly.

"Why does everyone keep calling me little?" Yukari asked.

"Because you are," Gin quipped. "Especially up top."

"Well, it's better than being so big you can't even see your feet!" Yukari protested.

"Hey!" Kurumu shouted. Yukari just stuck her tongue out at Kurumu, who seethed under the mocking gesture.

"No need to fight," the man known as Kamen Rider Wrath said, attempting to be the mediator. "The both of you have your appealing points." That calmed the two feuding girls down, but then Wrath spotted Mizore. "No need to hide down there. Any friend of Adam's is a friend of ours."

Mizore smiled. "But I like it here, Wrath-san."

"Call me Nolan," Wrath offered.

Moka looked up at them. "That reminds me. We don't really know your names."

"Kit."

"Len."

"Price."

"Kase."

"Nolan."

"Chance."

"And you're all Kamen Riders?" Moka asked.

"Yeah, just like Adam," Len replied.

Just then, Eubulon came back in. "I'm afraid we have trouble."

"What is it, Eubulon?" Kase asked.

"Xaviax managed to steal six blank Advent Decks," Eubulon replied. "I got word from Chance about that."

"And when were you gonna tell us this?" Kit asked Chance, giving him a sideways look.

"Very soon," Chance replied. "I just needed everybody's attention first."

"Blank Advent Decks?" Adam repeated. "You mean decks nobody's used to bond with an Advent Beast yet?"

"Actually, only five of the six were blank," Eubulon corrected. "One of them was already contracted, with one of the Firebird beasts. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Adam sighed and sat up in the bed, forcing the girls to move off him. "During one of my outings as Dragon Knight, there was a particularly strong outbreak. I needed help, so I found Tobi, the guy you were training to be the new Advent Master before that fight with Xaviax, and I gave him a blank deck. He bonded with that firebird and became Kamen Rider Haze. We fought together to beat the outbreak, and you would _not_ believe how good he was at it. Then . . ."

"Then what?" Price asked.

"One of those things got in a lucky shot," Adam concluded. "It wasn't enough to take him out, not at first, but then he took a hit that was meant for me . . . and he was vented. I never told anyone about it. I was too ashamed, ashamed that I'd gotten somebody else involved in this war and hadn't even been able to protect them properly. I locked his Advent Deck away, with the other eleven blanks, and kept my mouth shut about it for the next thirty or forty years."

"Thirty or forty years?" Moka asked. "But . . ."

"I don't look older than twenty?" Adam filled in. "That's suspended animation. We were each supposed to come out once every twelve years on rotation. One of us would guard Ventara while the others slept for a year, and after that year was up, another one of us would wake up and take over from there. The only way all twelve of us could be awakened would be if there was a particularly dangerous threat – like Xaviax entering our base."

The girls looked at the Riders with confusion. "So . . . you're all . . . like eighty?" Kurumu surmised.

"Kind of," Len admitted. "That was what the suspended animation was for. We couldn't separate from our decks without Master Eubulon, and since he was gone, we couldn't take the chance of getting too old to fight and not being able to recruit new blood for the job."

"Oh," Moka remarked.

"What happens from here?" Adam asked.

"Xaviax will most likely do what he did before," Eubulon replied. "Use the Advent Decks he stole to recruit an army for himself, picking those who are likely to be receptive to his goals and ideology. With the exception of the Haze Deck, the decks he stole are blanks with no previous DNA bonds, so he can recruit who he wants instead of being constrained by finding doppelgangers of previous Riders."

"That's gonna be trouble," Chance remarked.

"Is there a chance he could go after the Riders he recruited before?" Kit wondered.

"No chance," Eubulon denied. "Xaviax won't tap that well again, considering how poorly they all fared against you and Len." He looked at Adam. "There _is_ something I wish to address, though."

"What's that?" Adam wondered.

"I talked with the Board Chairman," Eubulon explained. "He's willing to give you another chance, but under one condition, namely that you take over leadership of the Academy Enforcers."

"He wants me to be an Enforcer?" Adam asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed. "Who better to lead the Enforcers than the man who bested them?"

"No, wait a minute, there's gotta be some kind of mistake," Adam said. "Why should _I_ lead the Enforcers? Especially after what they did to our Newspaper Club? Especially after what they've done to this school?"

"It's the only way the Board Chairman will let you stay here as a student," Eubulon stated. "And it's the only protection you have from the tender mercies of certain members of the school's administrative body."

"If somebody's after Adam, let me at them!" Kurumu yelled, clutching Adam to her bosom protectively. "I won't let anyone hurt my Destined One!"

"Anyone who hurts Adam will die," Mizore stated, forming another ice spike.

Moka and Yukari were similarly determined, judging by the looks on their faces.

"That's the way it has to be," Eubulon said. "Adam's presence has been quite troublesome to certain highly placed persons, and even the Board Chairman can only do so much to protect him. It's either become an Enforcer . . . or an iron maiden where you'll be slowly bled out before you die."

"What's an iron maiden?" Kurumu asked.

"It's a torture device, like a coffin but with spikes on the inside," Mizore replied. "It's very painful."

The girls shivered. "That sounds awful!" Yukari exclaimed.

"It is," Mizore answered.

"Fine, I'll do it," Adam said, prompting the girls and Gin to look at him confusedly. "But under the condition that I'm allowed to recruit from scratch."

"You won't be retaining anyone?" Nolan asked.

"No," Adam stated tersely. "Not after what they've done. The only way I can ensure there'll be no more corruption in the ranks is if I wipe the slate clean. Tell the chairman that."

"He's willing to oblige you there," Eubulon said. "But that doesn't mean you won't be carefully observed. That's why I'll be staying here. I start my teaching job next semester."

"Teaching what?" Adam asked.

"Gym class," Eubulon replied wryly. "And speaking of being carefully observed, the chairman wants someone from the faculty to join me in supervising you; that way he can go to the board and honestly tell them that he's not just giving everything away to outsiders."

"I guess that means you won't be in the Newspaper Club anymore," Gin remarked sadly. "I mean, you can't be a reporter and a cop at the same time; it's a conflict of interests."

"I know," Adam admitted just as sadly. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you, too," Gin confessed.

The two young men gave each other a manful hug before parting. "It's been great, man."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Yukari beamed. "The love between two men, comrades, brothers-in-arms – it's just so beautiful!"

Len scowled slightly, which prompted Kase to nudge him and smirk. "Jealous?" she asked.

"No," Len replied stoically.

"Oh, and for a little bit of a friendly touch, Kit's going to be on duty here, too," Eubulon added.

Adam and Kit looked at Eubulon with identical confused expressions on identical faces. "What?"

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed. "I was talking with the chairman when I remembered that you never exactly finished your formal schooling, and being a Rider hasn't given you much opportunity to do that. Therefore, I convinced him to enroll you as a student here. You'll start next semester."

Kit and Adam looked at each other. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other," Kit remarked.

"How are we supposed to tell you apart?" Kurumu asked, puzzled. "You look exactly alike!"

"We'll just comb our hair differently," Adam replied.

"Really?" Yukari deadpanned. "You think _that's_ all it takes?"

"Yeah," Kit replied. "Why not?"

Just then, a curvaceous redhead in a well-fitting nurse's uniform greeted them. "Excuse me, but it's time for you all to go now. The patient needs his rest if he's to finish recovering from the ordeal he had."

"It's all right," Eubulon said. "We'll show ourselves out. Thank you."

"No problem," the nurse replied, smiling winsomely at Eubulon before spinning on her heel to leave.

"I think she digs you, Master Eubulon," Chance remarked.

"Yes, her aura speaks very strongly of attraction," Price added.

"She is right, though; Adam needs his rest," Eubulon admitted.

The Riders went to leave through the mirror, but Kase turned back for a moment and gave Adam a sisterly kiss on the forehead. "Get better, Adam," she whispered. "Besides, Sarah misses you."

"She does?" Adam wondered, but Kase had gone with Len and Kit and the other Riders, leaving him with Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, and Gin.

"Guess it's time for us to go," Gin said. "Come on, ladies, the man needs his recovery time."

Reluctantly, the girls left with Gin, but not before Mizore left an ice rose by Adam's bedside. "Think of me, Adam," she whispered softly, leaving a cool kiss on his cheek before departing, leaving Adam to sleep – and perchance, to dream.

* * *

Moka found Eubulon meditating on the roof of the academy. She had a lot of questions about the Kamen Riders and rather than asking Adam she decided to go to the source of the Kamen Riders, Master Eubulon himself.

"Excuse me, Mister Eubulon, sir?" Moka asked. Eubulon cracked an eye open and smiled before standing up.

"Yes, Miss Akashiya?" Eubulon responded. "Is there something you want?"

"I just want to know more about the Riders," said Moka. "From what Adam has told us, Ventara is no different from Earth, so how exactly could you create something as amazing as the Advent Decks and the Kamen Riders?"

Eubulon recalled Maya and Kit making a similar inquiry a while ago but then spoke, "You four can come out now. If you wanted to hear there is no need to hide."

Moka blinked but then saw Mizore, Kurumu, Yukari and Gin coming out of their hiding place. "Everyone?" Moka blinked.

"We want to know about the history of the Riders too," said Mizore.

"That's right," nodded Yukari.

"I, however, came because I couldn't leave all these lovely ladies unattended," said Gin.

"We actually caught him peeping and dragged him over with us," said Kurumu. Gin growled at her.

"So, you wish to know how I created the Kamen Riders, right?" Eubulon asked. They all nodded.

"Like Moka said, Ventara's technology is just like Earth's," Gin said. "And since Adam said that you chose them decades ago, like forty years ago, we really want to know."

Eubulon sighed and said, "Prepare yourselves, then." His entire face rippled and the teens were taken aback when Eubulon's handsome visage was replaced by a bald grey head with bulbous black eyes, a narrow slit for a mouth and thin nostrils. His face then reverted back to his human form.

"You're a monster, too!" Yukari let out.

"Extraterrestrial, actually," admitted Eubulon, "from the planet Karsh, the same planet Xaviax came from."

"You and Xaviax came from the same planet!?" Kurumu yelled out.

"Yes, and Xaviax was my leader," Eubulon admitted, shamefully. "He was the leader of our Northern Army. Our world had a civil war between the North and South and while the North won, it left our planet decimated. Xaviax discovered Ventara and so he had me create transporters that would transport a large number of people from Ventara to Karsh to be used as slave labor."

"Something must have changed if you decided to rebel," said Mizore.

"Yes," Eubulon nodded. "I fell ill on Ventara and a Ventaran family found me and nursed me back to health. It was the first time I was treated with unconditional kindness from another race. They didn't even care that I wasn't human. So, I contacted Ventara's leaders and created the Advent Decks. Then, I chose twelve of their best and brightest to become my Kamen Riders and protect Ventara from Xaviax."

"What about the blank Advent Decks you were talking about before?" Gin asked.

"I did not intend for the original Kamen Riders to be Kamen Riders forever," Eubulon explained. "I knew that someday the war would be over and they would desire to return to their normal lives, so I had plans to let them retire after a certain period and select new Riders. The twelve blanks I created were part of that plan, but when I was lost on Earth . . . the original Riders were forced into the plan they outlined to you to ensure that Ventara would still be protected. That is my greatest regret, not being there to guide them."

"Xaviax said you had a son," Kurumu remembered.

"Yes, I did," Eubulon confirmed. "By Karsh's standards, he was an aberration; he did not view war as a sport or a game, but a tragedy, a failure of what he believed to be the noble spirit of our people. Not that he was unwilling to fight; he merely took no pleasure in it unlike most of our people. I never quite understood him, at least not until it was too late."

"And Adam reminded you of him," Moka mused aloud.

"Yes," Eubulon admitted. He smiled wistfully. "It's time I took my leave for now. We all need our rest after this night, especially for the battles ahead. Sleep well, everyone." With that farewell, he jumped off the rooftop and disappeared into the night. Even Moka's and Gin's senses couldn't pick him up.

"How'd he do that?" Gin asked. All he got for an answer were shrugs from all the girls. "Whatever."

* * *

Somewhere on campus, Kuyo was busy licking his wounds, in a manner of speaking. "Disgraceful punk! Who does he think he is? I'll kill him. I'll kill him if it's the last thing I do. He defiles this academy with his presence!"

"You want him taken out?" a voice asked. "You're gonna need help."

"And what makes you say that?" Kuyo asked, glaring into the darkness. "Show yourself! Face me!"

"So angry . . . I like that," the voice commented. "I can use that."

Kuyo growled. "I am not to be used."

"Then consider it a partnership, one where we can both get what we want," the voice amended. A black hand stretched out of the shadows, holding a magenta card case marked by a golden firebird symbol. "Take this, if you want to even the odds a little bit."

Kuyo stared at the card case in recognition. "You want me to use his weapon?"

"Yes," the voice confirmed. "It's an Advent Deck, the same as the one used by the man that bested you. It'll give you even more power than you could imagine, enough power to beat _him._"

Kuyo grabbed the Advent Deck, and it glowed briefly as it touched his hands. "What?"

"It's responding to you," the voice said. "It knows it belongs to you."

Kuyo smirked. "So it does."

"I have others to recruit to our cause," the voice stated as the arm began to fade back into the shadows. "I'll be seeing you soon, Kuyo."

"And I'll be seeing _you,_ Adam Taylor," Kuyo whispered ominously, clutching the Haze Advent Deck.

* * *

A handsome young man named Hokuto Kaneshiro rested in his dorm room, specially granted to him since he headed the Yokai Academy Student Council. Just then, his window rippled like a calm lake that had just had a stone dropped in it and something stepped out of the ripple. It resembled a shadow, only made out of something that vaguely resembled flesh and something definitely _not,_ and it was distinguished by the malevolent red eyes that stared into his.

"Who are you?" Hokuto asked.

"Hokuto Kaneshiro," the shadow greeted almost amiably. "I'm quite pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm General Xaviax, and a little birdie told me you want this academy – and both this world and the human one – wiped out. Funnily enough, I happen to be perfectly amenable to those goals and I think you and I could be very good for one another."

"Who is this 'little birdie'?" Hokuto asked.

"Little birdie?" Xaviax echoed. "Your right hand, Kiriya Yoshii – but he was only willing to tell me so long as he believed I wasn't a danger to you and your interests. I appreciate that kind of loyalty, so I'll be generous and offer you my support."

"And what's in it for you?" Hokuto inquired, not at all convinced.

"Revenge," Xaviax replied. "That's what we both want, don't we? You want revenge on the worlds that left you to suffer on your own, with nobody to count on – and _I_ want revenge on the worlds that defied and betrayed me. Our goals overlap enough that I find it more profitable to work with you than against you. The right hand should know what the left hand is doing; after all, it makes things far less complicated."

"You're not lying," Hokuto stated bluntly.

"Good, because I don't need to," Xaviax remarked almost glibly. "Not right now, anyway. Sometimes the truth is the best bait of all. Do we have a deal?"

Hokuto glared into Xaviax's lurid red eyes. "We do."

"Congratulations, Mr. Kaneshiro – you've just guaranteed success . . . provided you're willing to follow my lead," Xaviax said, his tone turning ominous on the last seven words, and Hokuto couldn't help but shudder in primal terror.

Next: Blood of the Dragon

* * *

End Notes: Well, this was a quiet chapter compared to the recent chapters before, but it sets the foundation for what will happen in future chapters. Xaviax is back, and he's recruiting his own Riders once again to stand against the Riders who fight for justice. Not only that, he's recruiting from an organization those of you who read the original Rosario + Vampire manga should know very well. Who are these new Dark Riders, and how will they challenge Adam and his friends and allies? For the answers to those questions and others, read on!

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Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendou!

"And we're back!" Kurumu shouted. "I'm Kurumu Kurono . . ."

". . . And I'm Yukari Sendou, and this is . . ."

The two girls announced it together: "_**Rider Fashion Check!**_"

"Today, we're checking Kamen Rider Torque, the Riders' gunslinger!" Kurumu announced, and the screen behind them showed a picture of Kamen Rider Torque.

"First off, that color really brings out his eyes!" Yukari declared, pointing out the green color that dominated Torque's armor.

"How can you even see his eyes behind that mask?" Kurumu asked.

"Oh . . ." Yukari said. Then she brightened up. "Never mind! Check out that chest armor; it's really thick! Even thicker than Adam's!"

"You sure?" Kurumu teased.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Yukari shouted. "Anyway, Torque's chest and shoulders are very well-armored, better than most of the other Kamen Riders. That's a good thing, given what Kamen Riders go up against."

"As pointed out to you already, the Advent Belt and the Advent Deck in its center form and power the Kamen Rider's armor!" Kurumu observed, pointing at Torque's Advent Deck. "Wait a minute. That's an ox, right?"

"Yeah?" Yukari responded.

"So why doesn't his helmet look more like that?" Kurumu asked.

"You'd have to take it up with Magnugiga," Chance replied, causing the girls to jump into each other's arms out of shock.

"What are you doing here?!" they shouted at him.

"Just came to check in and this looked like fun," Chance answered. "Mind if I take over?"

"Uh, you can give it a try," Yukari replied hesitantly.

"Thanks," Chance said. "See this gun?" He pointed at the Magna Visor in the picture of his armored form. "That's my Visor, and I can use it to attack my enemies up close, or I can slot my Advent Cards into it to summon bigger guns for the situation."

"And what's the biggest gun you've got?" Kurumu asked.

Chance smiled wickedly. "Magnugiga. When I go in for my Final Vent . . . let's just say unless you're fast enough or armored up enough, you've got no chance of surviving it. Nothing in the area does."

"Nothing in the area?" Yukari repeated. "Are you trying to say that your Final Vent destroys _everything?_"

"It's called 'End of World' for a reason," Chance stated coolly.

Kurumu and Yukari imagined that for a moment. "Uhhhhh . . . we'll get out of your way now," Kurumu said, before turning to face the camera. "That's it for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_"

"Tune in next time for the lancer with the most 'oomph,' Kamen Rider Wing Knight!" Yukari added. "Bye now!" She and Kurumu beat a hasty retreat, leaving Chance puzzled.

"Was it something I said?"


	15. Blood of the Dragon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 15: "Blood of the Dragon"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from this story and I'm only doing this for fun.

Author's note: I must again thank Kamen Rider Chrome for all his help with this story. I should also thank "brave kid," because Tobi/Kamen Rider Haze was inspired by him. Zero Rider deserves credit, too, and Kamen Rider Blaze will get some for inspiring the alternate identity of one of the Dark Riders. She is a canonical character from Rosario + Vampire, and I'll give you one hint to her identity: the raven.

Now, this is where the story gets back to adapting the original plotline of the R+V manga. Not that what happened in the last two chapters won't have consequences, too, especially since several of Xaviax's corrupt Kamen Riders will be familiar characters from the manga, including the one I mentioned above. In the meantime, Adam will have to deal with the more immediate consequences of his battle with Kuyo, especially what Moka did to save his life. Will he be able to handle it? For the answers, let's ride.

* * *

A week had passed since the incident with the Student Police. All of the members, including Kuyo, had been expelled on the grounds that they'd become corrupt and thus unworthy of their positions. Despite the protests, the Board Chairman's decision was final and every member of the Enforcers had been driven out of Yokai Academy and back home.

With the exception of a certain Newspaper Club, nobody knew for sure what had happened but the popular rumor was that Kuyo had been defeated in combat. Nobody exactly knew who Kuyo's triumphant opponent had been, but one name kept popping up. Adam Taylor.

The gaijin boy was a mystery to the student body at large. Despite witnessing his transformation and fighting skills, they were unsure of his true nature since he was so humanlike. The only logical conclusions they could reach were either that he'd been raised in the human world or knew how exactly to act human to avoid suspicion. Whichever the case, he wasn't as weak as a human. He had tallied up several victories with his victory against Kuyo being the latest.

Of course, this was still high school, and like in any other high school, one couldn't just spread rumors without said rumors affecting their subject. These particular rumors, however, had ensured that Adam's morning would be anything but peaceful, to say the least. . . .

"Adam Taylor! Fight me!" a golem demanded as he stood before Adam who was on his way to class. The golem was ten feet tall and made of grey rock, with red eyes. Its entire mass was made up of rocky muscles.

Adam gave a sigh. This was the 9th challenge he'd received this week. It was starting to become a pattern and a tedious one at that. "Look, I'm going to be late for school. Maybe we can reschedule and –" A huge fist came down to crush Adam, forcing him to roll out of the way. "Guess not." With a grunt, he whipped out his Advent Deck, and the belt formed from the black energy that travelled down his arm to his waist. "Kamen Rider!" He locked the deck into the empty buckle in the center of his waist, initiating the transformation.

* * *

Moka Akashiya hummed to herself as she skipped to school. She was hoping to catch Adam along the way and maybe get a bite as well. She loved his blood, but not as much as she loved him. After learning more about him, the emotional gap between them seemed to have shrunk and life was starting to return back to normal.

_FINAL VENT._

Moka blinked, hearing the familiar announcement, before she heard a loud roar. Suddenly, there was an explosion and a golem flew right past her, trailing black flame and knocking down several trees as he went sailing into the distance. Turning at the sound of footsteps, Moka looked in the direction where the golem had flown from and saw Kamen Rider Onyx walking towards her, much to her pleasant surprise. "Adam!"

"Oh, hey, Moka!" Onyx waved. "Excuse me for a second." He dispelled his armor as the vertical ring appeared and stripped it off him. He let out a huff. "Man, this is starting to get old!"

Moka smiled. Adam no longer looked so stressed from hiding his past from her for most of the time they'd known each other. He was calmer now and, in spite of the constant challenges, was in a fairly good mood. A blush forming on her face, Moka twiddled her fingers. "Adam . . ."

Adam sighed and gave her a smile. "I know, Moka." He pulled her close, causing her to gasp. "Take a bite."

Moka bit down on his neck and he groaned as she drank some of his blood. She then pulled away, licking her lips in satisfaction. "You taste so good, Adam!"

Adam accepted the compliment, but he did have a question for her, a serious one at that. He hadn't thought about it much at first, too caught up in the euphoria of seeing his fellow Kamen Riders again and realizing that they didn't hate him like Xaviax had been mind-screwing him into believing. Of course, it'd weighed on him more and more until he'd finally figured that there were gaps in his memory he couldn't fill so easily.

"Moka, how exactly did I beat Kuyo? The last thing I remembered before waking up in the infirmary was shielding you from a fireball."

Moka hesitated, remembering the cold look in Adam's crimson eyes when he'd temporarily transformed into a vampire. Her blood was dormant in him for now, but with that monster Xaviax having been able to forcibly tap into its power while fighting the Kamen Riders . . . who knew what sort of monster was lurking behind her love's eyes, just waiting to seize him body and soul?

"You . . . gave him a Rider Kick," she finally said. That was the truth, in a manner of speaking; Adam's partner dragon had boosted Adam's attack strength enough for that kick to put Kuyo down, and he'd executed it just like his usual Rider Kick.

"Ok." Adam relented; he knew that Moka wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he'd get it out of her sooner or later. He didn't want to make her too uneasy, especially with what Xaviax had tried to do to her while controlling his body. He repressed a shudder at the memory, and found it quite hard not to feel violated at the thought of his hated enemy staring so deeply into his soul.

* * *

As they were about to go into class, they were greeted by Kurumu. "Morning, Adam!" she shouted, diving to embrace him. "I'm _so happy_ you're all right!"

"Of course I'm ok," Adam responded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Kurumu stared breathlessly into his eyes. "Adam . . . I think I've fallen in love with you all over again. You were just so incredible back there . . . when you gave Kuyo that awesome kick!"

"Oh . . . yeah," Adam mumbled hesitantly. He didn't remember that, but he must have been able to recover long enough to give Kuyo a good thrashing for trying to kill his friends, so . . .

Just then, Moka cut in between them, pushing Kurumu off Adam and nudging her aside. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she exclaimed.

"What is it, Moka?!" Kurumu asked irritably. "Are you _trying_ to get in the way of our loving moment?!"

"Don't talk to him about it," Moka muttered. "The truth is . . . he doesn't remember."

"He doesn't remember?!" Kurumu exclaimed in shock.

"Right, and it's probably for the best that he doesn't," Moka insisted quietly.

Adam looked at the girls, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You saying something happened to me in that fight last week?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary!" Moka replied.

"Yeah, let's not think about it anymore!" Kurumu added. "Kuyo's down and out, so we're safe now!"

"Sure . . ." Adam muttered, increasingly convinced that something was not entirely kosher with this scenario. As they were about to go to class, Yukari accosted them.

"Oh, Adam! You were so cool when you turned into a vampire that day!"

Adam looked at her askance. _Turned into a vampire?_ Aloud, "Glad to see you're all right, Yukari. Now what was that about –?"

Before he could finish his question, Kurumu had jumped Yukari and was now muffling her protests, while Moka was trying to placate Adam. "It's nothing, Adam, don't worry!"

"I'm starting to think I _should_ worry," Adam responded soberly.

"You were so beautiful that day, Adam," Mizore's toneless voice spoke from her hiding place. "Your eyes . . . they glittered like rubies."

"Eyes like rubies?" Adam repeated. _Eyes like rubies . . . just like a vampire's eyes . . . just like Moka's when I take off her rosary to reveal her true self. Just what happened to me?_

"Stalker girl!" Kurumu yelled. "Don't talk like that!"

Mizore aimed a cold stare at Kurumu. "Quiet, boob girl."

* * *

A few classes later, Adam was in the men's bathroom and no closer to figuring out what had happened that day than he'd been before. He looked into the mirror, trying to imagine how he'd look with paler hair and red eyes. He blinked for a moment, and his reflection was replaced by a different visage – _his,_ but much darker, colder, _crueler_ even, with a hungry look in eyes that were disturbingly red.

"Damn it!" Adam exclaimed. "Am I seeing things? Or was that . . ."

_A taste of things to come,_ an ominous voice whispered, like nails scratching a post.

He heard someone enter the bathroom. "You're the legendary Adam Taylor, aren't you, kid? Your back is wide open, you little pipsqueak!"

Adam whirled to face the one accosting him, and was not surprised to see a muscle-bound teenager flexing with a couple of barbells in his hands. "Another one." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "This again."

"Chopper Rikishi of the Pro Wrestling Club," the muscle-bound boy introduced himself. "Next time I see you with your guard down, it's a cobra twist for you!"

"Well, do me sideways," Adam muttered.

"Did you really do it?" Chopper asked.

"Do what?" Adam mouthed off to him.

"Don't mess around with me! Did you beat Kuyou!?" Chopper yelled. "It's going around all over the school that you did. Twice, even!"

_Twice? I don't even remember beating him once!_ Adam thought, only to be brought back to reality by the sound of two heavy weights dropping. He looked at the floor and saw that the barbells had made small craters in it upon falling.

"You know something? I've been waiting for that bastard's neck for a long time," Chopper mused aloud. "Us pro wrestlers, we always look for the ultimate strength. If I'd beaten Kuyo, my strength would have risen to new heights! But _you_ beat him. You stole my opponent from me! Now I'll have to see if you were worth it!"

Chopper's arm had grown to inhuman muscularity and size and just as he was about to crush Adam with it, Adam ducked under it and rolled to his side. He reached inside his jacket pocket for his Advent Deck, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice saying, "He is."

"Gin!" Adam shouted.

"He _is_ the one who took down Kuyo," Gin said to Chopper. "I saw it myself."

_Damn it, another guy I wanna fight here!_ Chopper thought. _But Taylor comes first._ Aloud, "I'm not gonna do two on one, but you're on notice, Taylor. I see you unguarded again, I'm going for your neck!" He stomped out of the bathroom, leaving Gin and Adam alone.

"That Rikishi is the kind of muscle-headed son of a bitch that has to go after anyone he hears is stronger than him," Gin explained. "And earning his interest? You're in for it, you poor bastard."

"Yeah, because you sold me out," Adam snapped.

"Nothing personal, man," Gin responded coolly. "You should be proud. Not just anyone can beat Kuyo."

"How did it happen?" Adam interrogated.

"Don't you remember?" Gin asked. "You went vampire and kicked his ass all over the place. Haven't you seen the movies? People who get their blood sucked by vampires turn into vampires themselves! That's what happened to you."

"Are you serious?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Gin replied. "Last week, when we fought Kuyo, you turned into a vampire for a little bit, because you had Moka's blood inside you. You used her power to beat Kuyo. Lucky for you, since you'd be worm food if she hadn't done that. Still, who knows if you're going to eventually become a real vampire or not since you've got her blood in you now?"

"_Do me sideways" does not even begin to describe how thoroughly screwed I might be,_ Adam thought.

_Does "screw me with a spiked dildo" work?_ Chance's snarky voice remarked in his head.

* * *

Adam found himself on the rooftop of Yokai Academy practicing his katas in an attempt to calm down. It wasn't working, though; he kept obsessing over the new knowledge Gin had planted in his mind. _Why didn't they tell me? Why didn't _she _tell me? What was she thinking keeping this from me? _

Adam thought of all the times Moka had drank his blood – and he'd let her, too caught up in the euphoria of her bite to protest. A chill passed through him as he stilled himself for a moment. _W-what could I . . . what _will_ I become, if this goes on?_

"Adam?" he heard Moka call out to him, and he turned to face her. "So this is where you've been. "I got worried about you when you didn't come out of the bathroom for lunch. Class is about to start."

"Class . . ." Adam repeated. _Pointless, so pointless right now, after this. If I become a vampire, class is going to be the least of my worries._

"Adam?" Moka was much closer to him now. "I need something from you." Her face was flushed with desire . . . and Adam couldn't help but start to fall under the spell again. "Let me suck your blood, please."

Then the spell broke, and he remembered just what she was – and what he might become. "Oh," he replied. "That's what you're here for."

"It's just things have finally cooled down and I'm getting kind of thirsty so . . ." Moka said.

"No," Adam denied. "Not this time, Moka."

"Just an itsy-bitsy sip," Moka pleaded.

"_No,_" Adam repeated, and the cold stare he aimed at Moka chilled her.

"Adam?" Moka asked. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Adam echoed. "_What's wrong?_ I'll tell you. For all I know, I might become a vampire just because I needed you to save my life – and you didn't even see fit to tell me that was what happened to me. I thought . . . after Xaviax, after the Kamen Riders, there'd be no more secrets between us. I should have figured that not all the secrets between us were mine."

"Adam . . ." Moka murmured.

Adam was _vibrating_ with fury, not in the literal sense, but his aura reeked of tightly contained rage that was straining against its psychic confines. "I had to find out from Gin, and he doesn't even know what's going to happen to me in the long run because of that day. And then you have the _nerve_ to ask me for my blood."

Moka shivered before the force of Adam's glare, feeling her heart slowly tear itself in two. "Adam . . . I'm so sorry . . ." She spun around and ran back into the academy through the roof access, leaving Adam alone.

Adam didn't have much time for self-pity, as he heard Chopper come up on the roof. "I hope you had fun with that girl, bastard! If you've got time for her, you've got time to polish up your fighting skills, don't you, boy?!"

_No, I think "screw me with a spiked dildo" works better for this, don't you?_ Adam heard Chance's snarky voice remark in his thoughts.

Chopper chuckled malevolently. "I'm back, and nothing's going to stop us while we're up here. We can fight all we want. Now let's do this, Adam Taylor!"

* * *

As the fight commenced, Moka was sitting on the steps of Yokai Academy, completely distraught. "I'm so stupid . . . he probably hates me now. I know why I didn't tell him sooner; I was scared this would happen. Is this it? Is this how it ends? Is the gap between humans and vampires too wide for us to cross?"

_Hey, wait a minute,_ Inner Moka spoke up from the rosary. _Didn't Adam say he _thought_ he might transform into a vampire? Aren't you two misunderstanding this situation?_

"What do you mean?" Outer Moka asked. Before she could receive answers from her other self, she felt a tremor. "What was that?!"

* * *

Up top, Adam had just barely avoided being a smear on the roof of Yokai Academy. "So how about now?" Chopper taunted him, having changed back into his true form, a giant troll with spikes running down his back and obscenely muscular arms. "Now that you've seen what I really am, you should have no problem fighting me!"

"Yeah, I see you're really ugly," Adam taunted, drawing his Advent Deck. "Kamen Rider!" He locked the Onyx deck into the empty buckle seated in the center of his Advent Belt. Chopper attempted to attack him, but the protective sphere formed by his transformation threw Chopper off the rooftop and onto the ground. "He wants a fight? I'll give him one."

Kamen Rider Onyx jumped off the academy's rooftop, landing agilely on the ground. "Where are you? Don't tell me you got scared and ran off!"

"Scared? Me? Never!" a booming voice shouted, and Onyx whirled just in time to barely dodge Chopper's crushing arm. "The bell's rung, Taylor! Fight me now!"

_SWORD VENT._

The black Drag Saber fell into his hand, courtesy of Dragblacker, and Onyx shifted into a combat stance. "You're on."

"No way!" Chopper yelled. "Don't fight me with weapons! Fight me with your bare hands!"

"Too bad," Onyx snarled, dashing in for an attack that brought him over Chopper's swinging arm and down for a hard kick to the troll's chest. With an agile twist, Onyx slashed Chopper's chest, which had been left bare by his transformation tearing his shirt to ribbons.

Chopper growled and went to attack Onyx again, this time striking the ground with enough force to create a sizable tremor as Onyx dodged and kicked him right in the wound he'd made on his chest. The troll moved to attack the Kamen Rider again, only to be interrupted by another call from Onyx's Visor.

_GUARD VENT._

This time, a shield shaped by Dragblacker's underside landed in Onyx's hands, and he used it to block Chopper's punch. Even with the black Drag Shield in place, Onyx still felt the power behind that blow. "Come on, don't hide behind these toys!" Chopper yelled. "Be a man and fight me properly!"

"Don't you know?" Onyx asked. "There's no such thing as 'proper' in a real fight. It's all about kill or be killed."

"Adam!" Moka shouted, having run out to see what the second tremor was.

"Moka!" Onyx yelled. "Stay away! I can handle this!" To his horror, he saw a wicked smile on Chopper's face, just before the troll snatched Moka with his oversized hands. "Moka!"

"Adam!" Moka cried out.

"Okay, Taylor! Drop the toys and fight me like a real man," Chopper demanded, "or else I break your little girlfriend in half."

Onyx looked Chopper dead in the eye. "A real man doesn't hide behind hostages, but I'll oblige." He dropped his Drag Saber and Shield. "Now, let Moka go, Chopper."

"You'll have to take her from me," Chopper retorted. "And if you don't, I'll pop her head clean off her pretty neck!"

"Adam, get out of here!" Moka shouted. "It doesn't matter if he breaks my neck; I'll be fine! Just save yourself!"

"Moka, how can you say that?" Onyx asked.

"I'm sorry . . . after how I reacted to you keeping your secrets from me, about not telling you mine," Moka responded. "Even if you hate me now, believe me when I say I love you!"

Chopper growled and flicked Moka viciously with his thumb. "Don't be drooling over another man with me around," he snarled. "Now be quiet or I'll break your neck for real."

"Big man . . . threatening a woman like that," Onyx murmured, his voice going low and cold as a roiling aura surrounded him. "You should be ashamed."

In a flash of impossible speed, Onyx had kicked Chopper in the arm that was holding Moka with enough force to make him drop her. Onyx caught Moka gently, the blazing red eyes beneath his grilled visor staring into her surprised green eyes. "I was wrong, Moka, to turn on you after you stayed loyal despite my own refusal to admit the truth to you. Please understand when I say, it no longer matters to me what I am. As long as I am with you, as long as you love me – I can be whatever I want."

He gently set her down and turned back to face Chopper. "Glad to see you've got your fighting spirit awakened!" Chopper shouted. "Now give me a real fight!"

"Whatever you say," Onyx whispered maliciously and punched Chopper in the very same second he finished speaking. He punched Chopper a second time, a third time, a fourth time, and then it became a barrage of punches delivered at incredible speeds.

_How is he doing this?_ Moka wondered. _I thought all the power of my blood was used up already!_

_His will to fight . . . must have ignited the embers of my power within his veins,_ Inner Moka explained stoically. _How interesting._

"This strength . . . so this is how you beat Kuyo!" Chopper exclaimed, reeling from Onyx's punches. "Now you've really got my blood boiling, Taylor! My excitement is at its climax! I'll show you _my_ strength!"

He swung his giant fist at the black-armored Kamen Rider, who merely caught it and performed a one-handed toss that sent Chopper flying – and later tumbling – down the forest path. Of course, Chopper had a relatively decent recovery time, his status as a wrestler making him used to being knocked around, and charged Onyx again, who simply slotted one Advent Card.

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker emerged from a portal within the ground and coiled around Onyx as dark energy leaked from them both, which suddenly paralyzed Chopper. "What the hell? I can't move!"

Onyx slowly rose into the air, lifted by Dragblacker's aura. As Moka watched, she almost got the impression that she was watching an angry god deliver his final judgment upon a blasphemer. Dragblacker breathed black fire at Onyx's back, which pushed him into a powerful flying kick that struck Chopper down quite brutally.

Kamen Rider Onyx landed gracefully from his flying kick. "Let that be a lesson to you. I don't tolerate people who go after Moka."

Chopper coughed up blood, so wounded he was by the force of Onyx's kick. "I never imagined I'd underestimated you this much . . ." That was the last thing he said before he passed out.

_Do you understand now, Kamen Rider?_ Inner Moka asked silently. _You are merely borrowing my powers to fight. When it's over, you'll be an ordinary human again. Did you think you could so easily obtain a vampire's power, even if your will is stronger than most humans'? Know your place, foolish boy._

"I understand . . ." Onyx whispered, dispelling his armor. Without the armor, Moka could see that his hair had once again turned silvery blond and when he looked at her, his eyes were an inhuman crimson with slit pupils. Quickly though, his hair darkened to its usual light brown color and his eyes shifted from red to hazel.

"Adam?" Moka asked.

"It's me, Moka," Adam replied. "I know. This time I remember it. And, I'm sorry. I said awful things to you." He walked up to her and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry. You can drink my blood whenever you like. Now would be good, too, if that's what you want."

"Adam . . ." Moka uttered, shocked by the more intimate display of his renewed love for her. Then she bit his neck, and in that moment, Adam knew the world was a beautiful place.

Next: Studies in Onyx.

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo!

"Well, this totally sucks!" Kurumu yelled.

"Yeah!" Yukari agreed. "We weren't in this chapter very long at all!"

"And we didn't get to do anything with Adam!" Kurumu added irately.

"Adam belongs to me and Moka!" Yukari declared. "So you won't get to do anything with him as long as I'm around!"

"Never mind that!" Kurumu snapped. Then she brightened up. "It's time for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_"

"Yay!" Yukari shouted. "Who do we have this time?"

Kurumu pressed a button on the keyboard, and the image of Kamen Rider Wing Knight appeared on the screen. "Today, we're taking on Kamen Rider Wing Knight, the lancer with the most!"

"Check out that mask!" Yukari remarked, pointing at Wing Knight's mask. "He looks kind of like a cross between Batman and a real knight!"

"His partner beast _is_ a bat," Kurumu pointed out, "and he even wears Blackwing like a real cape sometimes! Look!"

She pressed another button to switch to the back view of Kamen Rider Wing Knight, and sure enough, he was wearing Blackwing as a cape. "So cool!" Yukari exclaimed. "He really does remind me of Batman!"

"Uh-huh!" Kurumu agreed, switching back to the front view. She pointed at Wing Knight's chest armor, which was designed to resemble a bat. "Good thing he has that armor, and the silver works really well with all that navy blue!"

"And check this out," Yukari added, pointing to the Black Visor. "He has a sword even before he slots one of his cards!"

"I wonder what kind of sword it is," Kurumu mused aloud.

"It's a rapier," Yukari explained. "It's a sword with a really thin blade that was mostly used in fencing. Wing Knight's, in this case, doubles as his Visor, where he slots his Advent Cards to summon a weapon or trick his enemies. In case he can't summon that big lance he likes to use so much, he's got his Visor to fall back on. Personally, I think his Visor's cooler."

"He's dreamy . . ." Kurumu murmured. "If I weren't taken . . ."

"You're not taken," Yukari denied. "Adam isn't yours and he isn't going to be! He's mine and Moka's!"

"In your dreams!" Kurumu retorted. "Besides, Kamen Rider Siren would kick my ass if I made any moves on her man!"

"Oh, yeah . . ." Yukari remembered. "She and Wing Knight are dating, aren't they?"

"Like peas in a pod," Kurumu added. "And he gets even cooler! Check this out!"

She pressed another button on the keyboard, and Wing Knight's armor changed. The under-suit turned black, while his chest armor turned royal blue and spread to his shoulders like literal bat wings with a golden bat in its center. The visor of his mask took on gold accents, and the armor on his boots and gloves turned royal blue with similar gold accents that vaguely reminded her of a bat. Last but not least, his Advent Deck turned blue and his Black Visor had changed into a bat-like shield with his sword sheathed inside it.

"That's Wing Knight's Survive Mode!" Yukari shouted.

"Uh-huh!" Kurumu confirmed. "When a Kamen Rider calls the Survive Mode Card into his or her hand, the card's power enhances the Rider's armor, weapons, and Advent Beast!"

"The gold accents make him look really majestic!" Yukari commented. "And the royal blue goes well with the rest of his armor!"

"Not to mention that his Visor becomes a shield with a sword inside it!" Kurumu added. "And the shield can even become a crossbow that he can shoot people with!"

"His sword's even stronger and bigger than before!" Yukari shouted.

"Oh, yeah . . ." Kurumu murmured. "But not as strong or as big as Adam's sword . . ."

A basin suddenly dropped on Kurumu's head from out of nowhere. "Adam's sword belongs to me and Moka!" Yukari declared.

"I'll get you for that, you brat!" Kurumu yelled, and gave chase to Yukari.

"That's it for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Yukari shouted. "Tune in next time for when we take on everyone's favorite quick-striking cobra, Kamen Rider Strike! And we're going to have a special guest, too! Maya Young, the world-famous writer of _The Knights Behind the Mirror!_ See you later!"


	16. Studies in Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 16: "Studies in Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness Entertainment, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money from this story, I don't get any other compensation for writing this story, and I am only doing this for my own enjoyment.

Author's note: Again, I must thank my various supporters, both the readers and the people who give me helpful advice on how to keep this story going, for all their help. Second, I must mention that after this chapter, you're going to see a few new Kamen Riders, specially adapted from the _Blade_ incarnation of the Japanese Kamen Rider series. If you're wondering how the hell that's going to happen, all I can say for now is that Earth's governments made the same deal with Eubulon that Ventara's governments did.

Back to the main story, though; all that fighting certainly doesn't leave a lot of time for studying, now does it? What happens to Adam when a comely teacher offers to help him study? Is it an offer he should accept, or is it something he'll be regretting later? For the answers to those questions and others, read on!

_

* * *

_

FINAL VENT.

A Cyclops flew across the field upon the Dark Dragon Rider Kick crashing into him, courtesy of one Kamen Rider Onyx. "And one more," the dragon-designed Rider murmured irritably. That had been the first challenge for the day and probably not the last.

"It happens, Adam," said Moka. "A lot of monsters want to prove their strength over you."

"I know, but can't they do it some other time? I mean, I got a life, don't _they_ have lives?" Onyx asked as he dispelled his armor. "I'm just glad they're not doing it as much now."

Indeed, the challenges weren't as constant as before. They came at him once every few days now. It was probably because of what he'd done to Chopper Rikishi; such a trouncing would make any sane person nervous about facing the one who'd done that. Of course, it didn't stop that many of them from trying their luck, anyway, which gave Adam the distinct impression that they weren't quite sane.

"So, what do you think you got for the last math test?" Moka asked.

* * *

As class ended, Adam stared at his grade on the paper in despair. It was low, really low. He'd barely passed but it was still a low grade, not up to his usual standards at all. _I guess all that fighting didn't leave me very much time for studying. Damn it._

"Do you want me to help you?" Moka asked the gloomy Kamen Rider as he slumped in despair outside the school.

"Yeah," Adam replied. "Damn it all. The Enforcers, Xaviax, all those monsters that have been trying to take me down to prove how strong they are . . . not to mention that Xaviax is still out there doing who knows what with those blank Advent Decks . . . yeah, I could use your help."

"If that's what you want . . ." Moka assented shyly. "Could you come to my room tonight?" She blushed as she asked that question, and once Adam realized that she'd specifically asked him to come to her room . . . he had to fight down a blush, too. "Let's study together. I'm sure there's a lot I could help you with that way."

_Oh, God . . . how am I supposed to help myself when she's got that blush going?_ Adam thought. _How am I supposed to keep my mind on math when she'll be right next to me? When I'll be in her room?!_

"I'll try my best for you, Adam," Moka vowed as she leaned closer to him, her blush not abating in the slightest. "I'll work hard for you, because . . ." Adam had the fleeting hope that she'd kiss him, and she did – just not where he was thinking. "You always let me suck your blood!"

She bit his neck, and Adam couldn't help the moan that escaped his mouth as he unconsciously pulled her closer. The bliss that engulfed his mind for that moment was unfortunately dispersed by a sudden shout. "_Hold it right there!_"

Adam and Moka broke apart, staring into the lovely but livid face of their math teacher Kagome Ririko as she stormed toward them. "_What_ were you two just doing?" she asked irately.

"Miss Ririko, we were just . . ." Adam started to explain himself, but Ririko-sensei interrupted.

"Adam Taylor!" Ririko-sensei snapped.

"Yes, ma'am?" Adam asked, his outer calm matched only by his inner panic.

"You silly boy," Ririko-sensei spoke sternly. "Don't you realize this is no time to be necking with girls?" Her tone melted into something more solicitous as she continued speaking. "You've been having trouble in class lately, haven't you? It's caught my eye, Mr. Taylor, and I understand why now." She glared at Moka as her tone hardened again. "Miss Akashiya! You're the cause of this, aren't you? How is he supposed to concentrate on his studies with your feminine allure constantly captivating him?"

"It's not like that!" Adam protested. "I was just asking her to help me study!"

"Calm yourself, Adam," Ririko-sensei answered gently. "Even if you did try to study with your girlfriend, you would merely be tempted by her charms, and then you'd be messing around with her just like a moment ago. No, your girlfriend will be more of a hindrance if studying is what you want."

She reached out and touched Adam's cheek tenderly, eliciting a blush from Adam. This was partly because he was face to face with such a beautiful woman and partly because he was close enough to see her cleavage. "What are you saying?" he managed to ask.

"If knowledge is what you seek, then your teacher will give it to you," Ririko-sensei replied. "Come to my office after school hours are up. I'll give you the kind of instruction that your girlfriend can't."

_Bow-chicka-wow-wow!_ Chance's voice mocked in Adam's head.

_Shut up, Chance!_ Adam roared at his mind's interpretation of the gunslinger Rider. _This is not the time!_

_Dude, I'm a figment of your imagination,_ the phantom Chance answered.

Just before Adam could get too distracted by his argument with himself in the guise of Chance, Ririko-sensei had gotten uncomfortably close to him. How close? He could feel the heat of her breath, and her generous bosom was pressing into his chest while her hands stayed on his cheeks.

"Studying is a wonderful thing," she whispered seductively. "It's just one of the many things I have to teach you, Adam."

_This is madness!_ Adam thought.

_Madness? This! IS! YOKAI ACADEMY!_ Chance's phantom shouted.

_Not that funny, man,_ Adam grumbled internally. _It's been done a million times._

And all the while, Moka was watching helplessly as her boyfriend Adam was trapped in the web of Kagome Ririko. . . .

* * *

When the Newspaper Club convened, Adam and Moka broke the news to their club mates. This shocked everyone present, especially Kurumu. "No way!" Kurumu shouted. "Adam, you're taking Ririko-sensei's afterschool lessons!?"

"Yeah, I got sucked into it," Adam replied glumly. _Not that Ririko-sensei isn't hot, but . . . I wanted to study with Moka!_

_Well, look at it this way; a little teacher-student action never hurt anyone,_ Chance's apparition commented. _You're living the dream, man._

"That's too bad for you," Kurumu said, interrupting Adam's thoughts. "She's always like that."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"Ririko-sensei is my homeroom teacher, but she's a little strange," Kurumu explained. "She's really passionate about teaching, but she's got a one-track mind and so she gets fixated to the point that she goes overboard." A jealous growl escaped her lips. "But all the boys go gaga over her because she has big boobs! Mine are way bigger!"

Unbeknownst to Adam, Moka was peeking at her own breasts inside her shirt. Yukari giggled. "Jealous of your own teacher's boobies? What a baby you are, Kurumu!"

"If anyone here's a baby, it's you," Kurumu retorted with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She got close enough that she could pat Yukari's chest just to demonstrate her point. "Look how flat you are!"

Yukari yelped in shock, but quickly recovered. "It's better than having those useless behemoths!"

Mizore wrapped her arms around Adam from behind. "Adam . . . you'll tell me if Ririko-sensei tries anything with you, right? I want you to know that you can count on me to keep you safe from her tricks."

Adam smiled; it was nice to know that she cared. "Thanks, Mizore. But I'll be all right. Don't worry about me."

"Mizore!" Kurumu shouted. "When did you get here?!"

"She's always been here," Adam replied simply.

"How did you know she was here?" Yukari asked.

"The room was a little chillier than normal," Adam answered just as simply as before.

"You'd better not be cheating on me and Moka with her!" Yukari shouted.

"Adam is mine," Mizore stated simply. "And if an older woman with large breasts cannot stand up to me, how can you?"

"Keep away from Adam!" Kurumu shouted. "He's mine!"

"Why would Adam want you?" Yukari asked. "Your boobs would suffocate him."

"Silly girl," Kurumu remarked. "My breasts are prized not just for their size, but for their softness, too." She took Yukari's hand and placed it on one of her mountainous breasts. "See?"

"That's not what men want!" Yukari protested, taking Kurumu's hand and placing it on her chest. "Mine are prized for their youthful and supple smallness!"

"Should you guys really be doing this with me here?" Adam asked. That was a bad idea in retrospect, as that turned the feuding girls' attention onto him and they each placed one of his hands on their breasts. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

"Who's better?" Yukari asked.

"Why ask that? We know the answer already!" Kurumu declared.

"Yeah, mine!" Yukari insisted.

"No, mine!" Kurumu maintained.

Just then, Adam saw an ice spike pointed at Kurumu and Yukari. "Take his hands off your chests, or boob girl loses her pride and joy," Mizore murmured threateningly.

Adam pulled his hands off their chests, not wanting to see Kurumu's breasts get sliced off. "Ok, this is getting a little too out of hand."

"What's so bad about afterschool studies, anyway?" Yukari asked. "Besides, if you get lower than 50 on the semester finals, you'll have to stay here for summer school instead of getting to go on vacation. Now's the time to get back into fighting trim!"

"Summer vacation, huh?" Adam remarked bemusedly. "I forgot we even had that."

"How could you forget!?" snapped Kurumu. The summer vacation was her chance to enchant Adam with her superior feminine charms. She even had the perfect swimsuit for it. She could already imagine herself with Adam, at the beach, at night . . . doing "this and that." The thought made her face flushed, drool and shiver in anticipation.

"Kurumu?" Adam waved his hand in front of the dazed succubus's face. "Kurumu?"

"And we've lost her," Mizore deadpanned.

* * *

The next day, Moka was accompanying Adam to Ririko-sensei's office. "Are you sure about this?"

"I've got no other choice in the matter," Adam replied. "It's either this, or I'm stuck here for the summer. I'm sorry, Moka. I wish we were doing this together."

"It's fine, Adam," Moka whispered, remembering Kagome-sensei's harsh words concerning her ability to help Adam study.

"It'll be all right," Adam said. "I'll get a good grade, and then you and I can have fun together during summer break." He kissed her cheek affectionately before dashing off to the conference room where Ririko-sensei had told him to meet her. "Excuse me! This is Adam Taylor, first-year student from Class 3. I'm here for the lessons!"

He tested the door, opening it after realizing it was unlocked. The room was gloomy, lit only by jack-o'-lanterns and decorated with tridents. "Nice décor."

"I'm glad you like it, Adam," a very familiar voice purred sexily as a feminine shadow came closer to him. "I'm even gladder you came for me."

Adam's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when he saw Ririko-sensei's outfit. He recognized the leather skirt and fishnet stockings supported by suspenders, plus the high-heeled sandals, but the leather bustier and the three belts wrapped around her right bicep were something new. _Was she hiding that bustier under her shirt?_ Adam wondered.

_Bow-chicka-wow-wow!_ Chance's apparition commented lewdly.

_Shut up,_ Adam protested, albeit somewhat lacking in force. Regaining his voice, he asked, "Just what is that you're wearing, Ririko-sensei?"

"Oh, I just thought this would motivate you to study," Kagome-sensei replied unabashedly.

"No, that's just going to motivate a bunch of perverse fantasies a boy shouldn't be having about his teacher," Adam muttered, obviously not buying her explanation. More loudly, "I don't mind if you're into that sort of thing, but are you sure this is the kind of thing a teacher should be doing with a student?"

The next thing Adam knew, he had barely missed a whip cutting into his face. "Am I sure?" Ririko-sensei asked. "In education, the teacher is your leader, and she demands your respect. You, as a student, are the teacher's servant."

_I should have figured this was a ploy to get me alone so she could molest me!_ Adam thought. _Well, she's not getting her hands on me. Only Moka gets to molest me . . . and maybe Kurumu and Mizore, too . . ._ He was about to make a break for it, but Ririko-sensei stopped him.

"My afterschool lessons are very strict," she purred, "but it's for your own good, Adam. Trust me; you'll see how wonderful education is."

_Why don't I believe you?_ Adam thought.

_Well, you've got a hot older woman who wants your body, and you're complaining?_ Chance's apparition asked.

_Doesn't make a difference,_ Adam replied.

* * *

That same afternoon, Gin caught Moka taking notes. "Oh, cute notes written by a cute girl!" he rejoiced.

Moka held the notebook to her chest, obscuring what was written in it. "No, actually . . . these notes aren't written for me . . ." _Yes, I can do something for Adam without getting in the way. And he asked me to help, so I want to work hard for him, too._

* * *

Back in the conference room where Ririko-sensei was holding her afterschool lessons, the alluring math teacher had her hands on Adam's shoulders as he diligently attended to his studies. "Yes, that's it. Well done, my promising student. _You can do it if you put your soul into it, Adam._"

* * *

Days later, a desperate Kurumu was begging Yukari to help her study. Yukari was in no mood to help, which had forced Kurumu to tie her up and drag her away. As she was dragging the younger girl, Kurumu bumped into someone who was standing stock-still. "Huh?! Oh, it's you, Adam . . ."

Instead of greeting them, Adam was simply reciting various complex math formulas under his breath. "What's going on? He's acting really strange!" Kurumu exclaimed. "And chanting math formulas!"

"Including the stuff we haven't even covered yet!" Yukari added.

"What a brilliant man!" Kurumu exclaimed, love in her eyes. "Come to Mama, Adam!" Just as she moved to tackle-hug the young man, she found Adam calmly walking out of her range as though he didn't even register her. "Adam?"

As Adam stoically, emotionlessly walked the halls of Yokai Academy, he ran into Moka. "Adam?" Moka asked. "Are you studying hard?"

Adam didn't say anything.

". . . I just felt like I had to help you, no matter what Ririko-sensei says, since you're always there for me . . . and you make every day here fun." Moka held out her notebook to him. "Here . . . I made my notes into a strategy guide for the semester test. If you use this, you'll have no problem passing, and I want you to have it. I made it just for you. . . ."

Adam still didn't respond, and a closer look at his eyes revealed a haunting emptiness, as though all the light in his soul had been sucked out of him. "What's wrong, Adam? Don't you like it?"

Just then, Ririko-sensei interrupted, snatching the notebook out of Moka's hands. "And just what do you think you're doing, Miss Akashiya?" she asked harshly, as she flipped through the notebook. "Trying to tempt my student with this garbage? How low will you sink?" She threw the notebook back in Moka's face, then grabbed Adam's hand and started walking away with him. "Never mind her, Adam; sensei will take care of you."

After escorting Adam to the conference room, Ririko-sensei sat him down and placed a notebook on the desk for him to continue his studies. "Now, Adam, let's study together again."

To her surprise, Adam was struggling to speak, and when he started making sense, it came out as one word. "_Mo . . . ka . . ._"

Ririko-sensei narrowed her eyes in anger and whipped Adam. "Naughty boy! Don't think about that girl right now! Listen to your sensei and shut out everything else!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Moka was looking at her strategy guide, distraught over Adam's seeming rejection of her for Ririko-sensei. Just then, she heard Yukari's voice saying, "Something's up with Ririko-sensei's lessons."

Wanting to hear more, Moka eavesdropped on Yukari, finding her talking to Kurumu. "I know some boys in my class are taking her lessons, too. They all got really smart all of a sudden, but then they became kind of like her harem of absolutely devoted boy toys! And Adam's definitely been acting weird ever since he started taking her lessons."

"Yeah," Kurumu agreed. "I wonder if Ririko-sensei's doing anything funny to him."

Moka gasped, remembering the blank, soulless look in Adam's eyes when she'd seen him after school. She wasn't the only worried one eavesdropping on Yukari and Kurumu; Mizore, well-concealed as she was, had heard their conversation as well.

"Adam . . ." she murmured. Her tone hardened. "I knew that teacher was trouble."

* * *

Back in the conference room, Ririko-sensei was shifting to her true form. Her upper half remained unchanged, but her lower half had transformed into a thick, giant serpentine tail and its end was splitting open like a flower. "It looks like I'll have to give you some proper instruction again, to keep you from thinking about Moka."

The tail's opened tip gripped the top of Adam's head tightly, and Adam screamed as he attempted to fight off the mental intrusion. "I'm sending the knowledge directly into your mind," Ririko-sensei said, "so you won't have room for anything else but your sensei and your studies! It's for the best, Adam. You'll thank me later."

Just then, the door burst open, iced-over fragments of wood flying everywhere. "_Stop._"

"What are you doing to Adam, Ririko-sensei?" Moka asked.

Ririko-sensei looked at them. "Miss Moka Akashiya . . . and Miss Mizore Shirayuki . . . You interfere with my lesson." Her expression darkened with rage. "You won't interfere any longer!" She moved to attack the two girls, who barely managed to dodge. "I am putting my heart and soul into education! I won't let someone like you stand between us!"

Having knocked Mizore and Moka out of the way, Ririko-sensei returned her attentions to Adam, coiling her tail around his legs. "Now where were we, Adam?"

"Adam, snap out of it!" Moka shouted.

Ririko-sensei offered her hand to Adam. "By now, Adam should know that his teacher is always right." Adam took her hand, kissing it obediently, much to Ririko-sensei's pleasure. "See? See this? This is the bond of trust between a teacher and her student. Isn't education wonderful?"

"That's like your damned catchphrase, isn't it?" Mizore sneered. "But this isn't education. This is slavery."

"Turn Adam back to the way he was!" Moka yelled, throwing her notebook at Ririko-sensei. Enraged, Ririko-sensei shredded the notebook with her whip.

"What do you think you're doing, little girl!?" she asked irately as the papers fell around her and Adam. "I'm your teacher! I'm doing this for your own good! Don't you understand that?! Naughty girls . . ."

_The notes I made for Adam . . ._ Moka thought despairingly. _Never mind that now, I've got to save him!_

On impulse, Adam caught one of the papers. _Isn't this Moka's handwriting? Are these her notes?_ He looked through the little encouraging messages scattered on the paper, but one in particular caught his eye. "Let's do our best together, Adam! –From Moka."

"So it's come to this!" Ririko-sensei yelled furiously, slamming Moka into a wall with her tail. "I'll make you an obedient student, too! Now you'll learn from Adam's example!"

Just as Mizore was about to help Moka, a flash of red-tinged black light interrupted them all. This prompted Ririko-sensei to turn and see Adam transform into Kamen Rider Onyx. "Stay out of the way, Adam! I'm teaching this girl a lesson! Then you and I can go on uninterrupted!"

At that moment, Mizore raised two thick ice sculptures, one near Onyx and the other very close to Moka and Ririko-sensei. Onyx jumped into the reflection of the ice sculpture closer to him and emerged through the reflection of the one by Moka and Ririko-sensei. When he came out, he did so with a corkscrew kick to Kagome-sensei that came with enough force to loosen her tail's grip on Moka.

"I've had enough of your lessons," Onyx snarled, his voice vibrating with controlled fury. He turned to Moka and pulled Ririko-sensei's tail off her. "I'm sorry for ignoring you before. I'll accept your help, just as I should have." He pulled the rosary off her choker. "Let's teach _her_ a lesson this time."

Ririko-sensei was beside herself with fury as Moka's demonic aura spiked. "How dare you interfere like this, Moka Akashiya! And _you!_ Adam! How dare you betray me this way?"

Onyx chuckled bitterly. "You betrayed me first. You took advantage of my desperation to control me, to manipulate me, to violate my mind and bend me to your whims. _No more!_"

"You can't do this to me!" Ririko-sensei screamed, rushing to attack Onyx and Inner Moka, only for more ice sculptures to come up. Onyx shoved Inner Moka into the reflection of one of the sculptures and jumped into that same reflection himself. As Ririko-sensei rounded on another ice sculpture, Onyx and Inner Moka came out of its reflection with flying kicks boosted by black flames.

"You're not a teacher," Inner Moka sneered at Ririko-sensei's fallen frame. "You're just a narcissist drunk on the power she has over her students. We have nothing to learn from you. Know your place."

In the days following Kagome Ririko's defeat at Adam and Moka's hands, her numerous instances of "extreme instruction" came out and she had no choice but to accept a two-week suspension from her job. The only other option was that she be fired and become the subject of a criminal investigation by authorities outside the school. As for her victims, including Adam, breaking the spell she had over them had erased all the knowledge she had given them, forcing them to start all over again.

"How do you think you did on the semester test?" Moka asked Adam the day after it was finished.

"I'm pretty sure I did well," Adam replied. "And I have you to thank for it. You didn't give up on me, Moka . . ." He looked out to find the eavesdropping Mizore. "And I've got you to thank, too, Mizore." He smiled at her. "So, how'd you do?"

Mizore shrugged.

Next: A Darkness Dragon's Sunflower

**

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**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo!  
Guest host: Maya Young

"Welcome to another edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced. "I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm Yukari Sendo!" Yukari piped up. "Today, we're checking out a very special Kamen Rider! Of course, not as special as Adam, but he's not so bad himself."

"Introducing to you . . ." Kurumu pressed a button and an image appeared on the screen behind her. "Kamen Rider Strike!"

Indeed, the image on the screen behind them was of Kamen Rider Strike, the cobra-themed Rider. The purple chest armor over his black under-armor resembled a cobra's hood, and his mask was modeled after a cobra's head. He held a scepter that also resembled a cobra's head.

"Snakes are pretty creepy, don't you think?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, but he makes it work for him!" Kurumu replied. She turned to look off-screen. "Would you like to take it from here, Maya?"

"Sure," a pretty dark-haired girl in a black sweater and dark jeans replied. It was indeed Maya Young.

"Our special guest host, Maya Young!" Kurumu announced, ushering Maya in front of the cameras.

"Let's just say I've had up close and personal experience with Kamen Rider Strike," Maya said.

"You're dating him right now, right?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah," Maya admitted with a smile. "He's a really sweet guy, but he's also a very serious fighter." She took the pointer rod and pointed out the scepter Strike was holding in the image. "This is his Visor, where he slots his Advent Cards. His favorite is his _Sword Vent_ card, which gives him the Veno Saber."

"It looks like a drill," Kurumu remarked, seeing Kamen Rider Strike's image change so that he was holding the Veno Saber.

"Yeah, but it's pretty effective," Maya said, "and he's one of the best fighters out of the Kamen Riders. Plus, he's not a real snake, anyway . . ."

"Sounds like you got burned by an ex-boyfriend," Yukari surmised.

"Yeah, you could say that," Maya admitted, momentarily gloomy. "You met Kit and Adam, right?"

"Yeah," Yukari and Kurumu answered.

"Then you probably already know that they're twins, one from Earth and one from Ventara," Maya said. "The Strike I first knew was the one from Earth, the one Xaviax recruited to fight for him. He acted like he was a good guy, trying to expose the truth, and . . . he was kind of cute. But then he exposed himself for what he really was, trying to make him vent Wing Knight in exchange for his dad's safety."

"Bummer," Kurumu said. Then she brightened up. "What about the one from Ventara?"

"Much better guy," Maya replied with a smile. "But I almost didn't notice it, because I was so caught up in how much he looked like JTC."

"The Earth Strike?" Kurumu asked.

"Yeah," Maya replied. "The original Strike is Price. He's really good to me."

"Just like Adam . . ." Kurumu murmured dreamily.

"I thought Adam was going out with Moka," Maya remarked skeptically.

"No, he's not!" Kurumu denied. "He just hasn't made up his mind yet!"

"I hope he's not two-timing her with you or you with her," Maya said.

"He wouldn't do that!" Kurumu insisted. "Adam's an honorable guy! He wouldn't do that!"

"Well, let's get back on topic," Yukari said, pointing to the image of Kamen Rider Strike. "I have to admit, he makes the purple work for him."

"Yeah," Kurumu agreed. "It looks really cool on him."

"Uh-huh." Maya smiled.

Kurumu looked at Maya. "You make all that black work for you, too. Something you got from Price?"

"Not really," Maya answered with a smile. "I was a Kamen Rider for a while. It left its mark on me."

"There's nobody that doesn't look good in black," Kurumu said, before passing off into another dreamy state.

"She's thinking of Adam again, isn't she?" Maya surmised.

"Yeah, she's got it bad for him," Yukari confirmed. "But he's with me and Moka. He wouldn't look at someone like her."

"You _and_ Moka?" Maya asked. She looked at Yukari askance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"They're both mine, silly!" Yukari replied. Then she dropped a basin on Kurumu's head. "Wake up, boob girl!"

"Yukari!" Kurumu shouted and began chasing Yukari, leaving Maya to assume control of the segment.

"Well, that's it for _**Rider Fashion Check,**_" she said. "Tune in next time for when we take on Kamen Rider Thrust! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure those two don't hurt each other." She sighed. "Adam sure does know some weird people."


	17. A Darkness Dragon's Sunflower

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 17: "A Darkness Dragon's Sunflower"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Adness Entertainment, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from the use of either property in this story; I'm only doing this for fun.

Author's note: Sorry to be away from you all so long, but I had to take care of other stories I'd put on the backburner. I'm back now, though, and ready to kick off with the Witch's Knoll arc. This will be where the serious divergence from the canonical plot begins, what with the intervention of the Riders of Ventara and Earth in this piece. Also, you will be seeing the first of Xaviax's Dark Riders in this arc, and she will be a very familiar character to fans of Rosario + Vampire. You wanna see what's going to happen? Read on!

_

* * *

_

Voice Log, Kamen Rider Onyx: It's been four months since I first came to Yokai Academy, four months since I first came to this world with the intention of dying a death most violent as penance for my crimes against Ventara and Earth. But something happened to me, something I wasn't expecting. I found something to live for – in some of the strangest girls I've had the pleasure of knowing.

_For them, I've fought a lot of battles here, risked my life – not that I'd placed much value on it before – and come out of it not quite as I once was. I've found my reason to live, to fight for my redemption instead of just dying in the vain hope that that would redeem me. And now, after all this time, all my struggles, I'm about to go on summer vacation with the four girls that mean more to me than just about anything in this world . . . if they show up on time._

* * *

"Good morning, Adam," Moka's sweet voice greeted him, prompting Adam to turn and slip his voice recorder into his jacket pocket. The lovely vampire was dressed in a dark pink one-button blouse over a reddish-magenta dress that Adam thought complemented her pink hair just fine. "You came early. It's still thirty minutes until everyone's supposed to be here."

Adam smiled at her. "You look great, Moka."

"Thank you," Moka replied, blushing slightly. "You look great, too."

Speaking of that, Adam was wearing his usual leather jacket over a black T-shirt with silver-gray patterns etched into the fabric and black jeans with black-and-gray sneakers. "Um, thanks. It's really nothing special; I just threw it together this morning."

Moka giggled. "So did I!"

Adam looked at her disbelievingly before climbing up the tree to sit on the lowest branch, Moka climbing up to sit next to him. "It's a shame you can't go home on spring break. I'd have liked to see Ventara," she said to him.

Adam smiled softly. "No big loss. When the school year's over, I'll take you there." His smile grew slightly when he thought about just how they'd gotten into this situation in the first place.

_

* * *

_

Three days earlier, Shizuka Nekonome had gathered everyone from the Newspaper Club for an announcement. Said announcement had surprised everyone there, to which she just replied cheerfully, "Yep! We have to do something special for summer vacation, especially since Adam will be leaving us next semester to be an Enforcer! So we'll be going to the human world to do research there!"

"_Are you serious, Nekonome-sensei!" Adam asked. "We're not even supposed to go there until we graduate!"_

"_It's fine so long as your teacher approves!" Nekonome-sensei answered, completely unfazed by her pupils' shock._

"_Somehow, I'm not convinced," Adam mumbled. He still had bad memories of being Xaviax's pawn and going off to spy on the other Kamen Riders for him. Judging from the looks on the girls' faces, they weren't exactly pleased at Nekonome-sensei's idea, either . . . but Yukari seemed the most apprehensive._

* * *

Drifting back into the present, Adam looked at Moka. "I told you before," she murmured hesitantly, "about how I lived in the human world through middle school, and how bad it was for me."

"Are you worried about going back?" Adam asked softly.

"Yeah," Moka admitted, and Adam squeezed her hand gently. She smiled at him, brightening up. "But with you by my side, I'll be fine! My hopes are much stronger than my fears!" She looked at Adam, but at the angle she was leaning, Adam got a good look down her dress at the cleavage she sported. "I'll be counting on you, Adam."

Adam leaned closer to Moka, hoping to avoid looking like a pervert. "Moka . . ."

Before they could kiss, the two teens heard a loud cry of, "_No!_"

"Come on, Yukari!" Kurumu's voice could be heard protesting.

"_I don't wanna go to the stupid human world after all!_" Yukari's shout could be heard.

"Shall I freeze her so we can carry her more easily?" Mizore's voice asked, deadpan as ever.

Adam jumped off the tree branch to confront the other three members of his unofficial harem. "Morning. What's going on?"

"Oh? Good morning, Adam!" Kurumu greeted brightly. "And it's nothing; Yukari's just being a baby about going to the human world!"

Adam leaned down so he was at Yukari's level. "If there's something wrong, Yukari, you can tell me."

"She's just scared about going someplace she's never been before," Kurumu scoffed. "What do you expect? She's a baby, after all."

That was what got a basin dropped on Kurumu's head, as Yukari ranted, "Someone with one brain cell like you wouldn't get it!"

"Who has only one brain cell, you little brat!" Kurumu yelled.

"Well, you did call her a baby first," Mizore observed.

_This is gonna be a pain in the ass,_ Adam thought. Aloud, "Hey, where's Gin? Our bus is here."

"Oh, him? Too many wrong answers on his test, so he's stuck in summer school," Moka answered.

"I guess we're all there is, huh?" Adam commented, prompting an uneasy chuckle from Kurumu. Adam looked in her direction, arching one eyebrow. _Yeah, somebody's skipping . . ._

When the bus door opened to let them in, Adam and the girls saw Nekonome-sensei . . . _and Eubulon._ "Master Eubulon!" Adam called out in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Eubulon smiled warmly at Adam. "I just wanted to spend some time with Shizuka-san."

Kurumu couldn't help but smile. "So romantic!"

"Morning!" Nekonome-sensei greeted them as they got on the bus.

"Nervous, boy?" the bus driver asked.

"No, why would I be?" Adam asked.

"Well, you've sure as hell changed a lot from that guy who was convinced he deserved to die at Yokai Academy," the bus driver remarked. "Practically walking on air, aren't you? But that's to be expected after the first semester you've had – taking on everything from upperclassmen to teachers to even the Enforcers themselves, and _winning,_ no less!"

"How do you know all that?" Adam asked.

"Let's just say I'm a little bit responsible for you," the bus driver replied cryptically, before turning to Adam and letting a smirk cross his face.

"You . . ." Adam uttered.

"That's all I get?" the bus driver asked. "How rude. You really ought to be more grateful to someone who put you in the position to meet those lovely girls. But don't act so worried. I can go anywhere in the human world from here so long as there's a tunnel connecting it, just like you can go anywhere between this world and the other so long as there's a reflective surface connecting them."

"So that means once we go . . . we go," Adam deduced.

"Right you are, kiddo," the bus driver confirmed. "Now hang on for the ride."

* * *

After a mind-bending trip through the tunnel, their bus emerged in the sunshine of the human world. "Wow, humans," Mizore deadpanned.

"Yeah, and there's so many of them!" Yukari remarked in wonder.

"Of course there are, dummy," Kurumu scoffed. "It's the human world, after all."

"The sun's really bright," Moka observed. "Is it summer here, too?"

"Yeah," Adam confirmed.

The teens looked outside and saw a big city in the distance, a city that was very familiar to Adam. "Is that where we're going?" Mizore asked.

"The city's Los Angeles," Adam explained. "Informally known as the City of Angels."

"How do you know?" Moka asked.

"Because Kit grew up there," Adam replied. "And the active Riders at the time were based in that city."

"Maybe it's my imagination . . . but did you see that 'no trespassing' sign?" Kurumu asked.

"It does look like we're going further into the mountains," Yukari observed.

The bus stopped when they reached their destination, and everyone except the driver got out. "It's beautiful," Eubulon whispered, kneeling down to gently stroke the petals of a sunflower.

"A sunflower garden?" Kurumu uttered in astonishment.

"Is this where we're staying?" Moka asked. "I had no idea such beautiful things existed in the human world, too!"

"All worlds have beautiful things," Eubulon replied sagely. "Even if their inhabitants are not always kind to those beautiful things." He looked at the bus driver, who'd stepped out himself. "This is completely different from where Shizuka-san planned to take her students, isn't it?"

"I just thought you could use a little detour," the bus driver remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "It is a famous spot, after all."

"For the sunflowers?" Adam asked.

"Negative, it's for the disappearances," the bus driver corrected. "It's actually quite poetic in this day and age, don't you think?"

Adam and Eubulon looked at him askance, to which the driver just answered, "Read the local paper for details, and be careful not to get spirited away, too."

"We will," Eubulon replied.

"In the meantime, how about you and I go out for some fish, Nekonome-sensei?" the driver asked.

Nekonome-sensei immediately brightened up and she was on her way with the bus driver to find some good fish to eat. This left Adam, Eubulon, and the girls alone, and Adam chuckled slightly at Eubulon's expression. "You're jealous, aren't you, Master Eubulon?"

"Maybe," Eubulon replied calmly.

"Hey, wait!" Kurumu shouted. "They left us in the mountains! How are we supposed to survive?"

"We do?" Mizore asked calmly.

"What are we gonna do now?" Yukari asked. "I don't like this! I wanna go home!"

"We just got here!" Kurumu protested. "If you don't stop complaining, I'm going to give you something to really cry about!"

Moka and Eubulon attempted to play peacekeeper, while Adam and Mizore looked suspiciously at the sunflowers. "Something's not right with those flowers," Mizore mumbled.

"I know," Adam whispered.

"Adam? What's wrong?" Kurumu asked.

"Something's not right with those flowers," Adam replied. Just then, they all heard a low, rumbling growl. "A monster . . ." He reached into his jacket pocket, ready to withdraw his Advent Deck and fight, but Eubulon placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Not here," he whispered. Slightly louder, "I suggest we go to safety inside that cabin."

Having made it to the cabin after a full-on run for it, Adam pulled out the newspaper the driver had given them. "I'm hoping it isn't _his_ doing again," Eubulon murmured.

"You mean Xaviax?" Moka asked.

"Yeah," Adam confirmed. "His big plan was to kidnap the entire human race and use them to rebuild his planet, just like he did with Ventara. The disappearances here might be connected to him somehow."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, a pair of young female sightseers drove toward the sunflower field. They were accompanied by a dark-haired, lightly tanned young woman dressed in lavender and blue and a blondish young man dressed in light gray and khaki. Said dark-haired young woman was Maya Young, ace reporter and writer of the hit novel _Mirror World: The Adventures of the Kamen Riders._ The young man with her was her boyfriend Price, one of the real-life inspirations for Maya's novel.

"Eighteen sightseers so far have disappeared!" one of the sightseers remarked excitedly. "And there's been a legend for a long time about a witch living on a hill in that area, so a lot of people think the disappearances were caused by a witch, and a lot of people interested in the occult have started sightseeing here!"

"Well, that's you all right," the other sightseer replied. "You do love the occult, Yoko. Hey, we're getting close!"

"This is going to be great!" Yoko cheered. "There are supposed to be so many beautiful sunflowers blooming there! Shame about the construction cutting them all down soon . . ."

"Yeah," Price agreed. "It's really a shame."

* * *

Back in the cabin situated within the sunflower field, Adam, Eubulon, and the girls stared worriedly at the newspaper article. Then Kurumu smirked at Yukari. "So, a witch is doing this? Can't say I'm surprised. It is your kind that does such awful things to people, after all."

Yukari scoffed, but Adam and Eubulon didn't miss the hurt expression that passed her face in the moment before. "You really are stupid if you believe everything you read in the papers," she sneered at the bustier girl.

"And we don't even know if it's actually a witch," Adam added. "It could be Xaviax up to his old tricks again."

"Well, I just don't like witches to begin with," Kurumu sneered.

"And I don't like talking blowup dolls," Yukari retorted.

As Kurumu and Yukari began to fight again, Adam went back to reading the paper. "Hey . . . that part of the city where everyone started disappearing . . . it's next to where Kit lived with his dad. And it's famous for that crazy councilman with the ambitious plans."

"It might not be a coincidence that we're here . . ." Eubulon mused.

_Maybe that bus driver knows something we don't_, thought Adam.

Kurumu wrapped her arms around Adam from behind, making sure to press her breasts against his back for emphasis, "Hey, Adam? How about we go to the beach? I got this really nice bikini."

Adam's thoughts were derailed as he imagined seeing the girls in bathing suits. It was summer after all and summer meant a trip to the beach. He then recalled Moka's weakness to water, but that didn't mean she couldn't wear a bathing suit and sit on the beach with him. Maybe they could even have a moonlit stroll along the beach too. . . .

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam could see a mischievous smile creeping on Eubulon's face. _You're enjoying this, aren't you?_

"Quit trying to seduce him," Mizore deadpanned. "People are disappearing and it might be because of that guy that spent so long torturing Adam."

Kurumu just hugged Adam protectively. "It'll be ok, Adam. I won't let Xaviax get his hands on you again! He'll have to go through me first!"

"And me," Mizore added.

"And especially me," Yukari piped up, seeming to forget her fears of the human world for the moment.

"We're all here for you, Adam," Moka added.

Eubulon smiled. Where Adam got the idea he was so unworthy of company like this, the Advent Master had no idea. Then he cleared his throat. "In the meantime, we've still got an investigation to do . . . and I get the feeling some old friends of ours will be crossing paths with us soon."

"Like who?" Adam asked.

"Strike . . . and Maya," Eubulon replied.

"You mean Price?" Kurumu asked.

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed. "And it won't be very long."

"I seem to recall that Xaviax had taken the original Advent Decks before and gave them to the twins of the original Kamen Riders here on Earth," Moka said. "What was Price's twin like?"

"In a few words, an unpleasant person," Eubulon explained. "James Trademore, better known as JTC, was someone who dug up the truth for a living. However, he dug too deep and was caught by the government. That was when Xaviax offered him a way out and so JTC chose to side with Xaviax, completely remorseless about what would happen to his own people. All he cared about was power. Almost all the Earth Riders were manipulated and driven by greed. Only a few weren't."

Chris Ramirez and Brad Barrett were just people who wanted to fix their lives when Xaviax sunk his claws into them. Chris had realized his mistake in time to become a valuable partner to Dragon Knight and Wing Knight in their battle against Xaviax. Brad, on the other hand, had been vented by JTC precisely to prevent him from turning to Kit and Len's side the way Chris had.

Vic Frasier had never even had a chance; he'd literally had the life sucked out of him and then Xaviax had worn his body like a cheap suit so he could use the Wrath Deck to fight. Kit himself had been _the_ big exception; Xaviax had tried to manipulate him using his love for his father, but Kit had ultimately chosen to do right by his father and stay true to the principles that man had taught him.

"Well, we might as well get to the bottom of this," Adam said, bringing Eubulon out of his reverie. "And with Price and Maya coming over, it'll be even better. She is an investigative reporter, after all."

"This is the human world!" Yukari exclaimed, no longer able to keep it in. "What if something _bad _happens? Even my cards say this vacation won't turn out so good!"

Kurumu glared at Yukari. "If you're just going to whine and complain and simper all day, then go back home, you big baby!"

"That was a low blow, Kurumu," Adam murmured, while Eubulon stared at the succubus with reproachful eyes. Yukari had just run off, upset with the entire situation. He looked at Moka. "I'll go after her."

* * *

Meanwhile, Yukari was traipsing the forest thinking to herself. She'd grown up in a small village sealed off at the bottom of a gorge. She'd been raised to think of humans as her enemy all her life. And then . . . the boy she adored, Adam, turned out to be a human. Not an ordinary human, a warrior of justice who fought monsters that lurked behind mirrors waiting to snatch maidens like her into their wicked jaws, but still a human.

Her musings were interrupted by a sudden scream. "Is someone in trouble?" Yukari wondered aloud. She ran toward the sound of the screams, only to find a teenage girl wearing a baseball cap pulling desperately at something beneath the sunflowers. The girl wasn't alone, as there was a slightly older girl in lavender and blue helping her with the sunflowers. _Humans . . ._

"Why are you dressed like that?" the girl asked. "Are you a witch?"

"This isn't the time to be worrying about her fashion sense," the other girl scolded the first girl.

Yukari turned away, quickly masking the hurt with contempt. "My mistake. I thought someone else was in danger here. Never would have bothered if I'd known it was some human." She began walking away, at which point the first girl began to scream out for help.

"My senior! She's going to be eaten by those sunflowers! It was my fault! I dared her to come here! And because of me . . . she's going to be eaten! _Please, help!_"

That got Yukari's attention, at which point she saw the familiar armor of Kamen Rider Strike. "So what are you going to do, Yukari?" the cobra-styled Rider asked. "You seem like a good girl, so . . . you gonna save her friend?"

_What kind of monster is that!_ Yukari wondered in horror upon seeing the girls' friend looking as though she'd had the life sucked out of her after being bitten by several sunflowers. Even worse, a particularly large sunflower monster was coming out from behind the smaller ones. It was like a Venus flytrap for humans and animals.

"Food . . ." the creature growled. "EAT!"

_Is this what happened to all those people?_ Yukari wondered, barely dodging the biting plant. _They were all eaten by that?_ Aloud, "I'm not going to let myself be eaten by you!" She withdrew her tarot cards, and threw them at the monstrous plant through the magic of her wand.

_ATTACK VENT._

Venosnaker slithered out, rising behind Kamen Rider Strike. "Help Yukari," Strike ordered his Advent Beast. Venosnaker let out a hiss doing as commanded, his jaws snapping shut around the stem of the giant sunflower monster. The monstrous plant struggled in the grip of the biomechanical purple cobra as Yukari went to help the people in danger. Strike watched with his arms crossed. If necessary, he would intervene.

Unfortunately, it seemed he'd have to, as more of the carnivorous plants were emerging from their harmless disguises and going after Yukari . . . and Maya. "More of them!" Yukari uttered in shock as they attacked her and Maya.

_SWORD VENT._

Drawing the Veno Saber, Strike charged at the carnivorous plants, slashing at them to get to Maya and Yukari. "Back off!" he yelled at the monstrous sunflowers as he cut them down.

* * *

Elsewhere in the forest, Adam, Eubulon, and the girls heard a girl's scream as they searched for Yukari. "Yukari!" Adam shouted.

"Maybe . . . maybe I went too far," Kurumu murmured regretfully.

"That doesn't matter right now," Eubulon said. "You won't be able to make it up to her if she's dead." He withdrew the Zero Deck from his coat and thrust it out, while Adam pulled out the Onyx Deck from his jacket and thrust it out as well.

"Kamen Rider!" both Adam and Eubulon shouted, slamming their decks into the Advent Belts that had formed around their waists and initiating their Kamen Rider transformations.

"Let's go," Eubulon said. Just before he could move, a motorized black blur passed by them.

"What was that?" Kurumu exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter," Onyx replied. "He might just lead us to Yukari."

* * *

Speaking of Yukari, the monstrous sunflowers were fighting over who would get to partake of her "delicious flesh," while Strike was fighting with everything he had to save her and Maya. _We shouldn't have come here . . . I told them nothing good could come of going to the human world . . . save me . . . someone save me . . . please . . ._

Then Yukari had a flash of what a scornful Kurumu had said to her: _"If you're just going to whine and complain and simper all day, then go back home, you big baby!"_

Letting her anger at Kurumu's words fuel her resolve, Yukari concentrated with everything she had – and her tarot cards began cutting down the sunflower monsters just like Strike's sword had. "I can't believe I'd be thinking of someone like her at a time like this," she muttered as she landed on her feet. "Well, I'm not going to let her make a mockery of me again!"

Strike looked at Yukari and smiled beneath his mask. "Thanks. I could use the help."

"And help you'll have," a deep, ominous-sounding voice commented, prompting Strike to turn and see a black-armored figure with a mantis design for his armor and a breastplate, mask, and belt designed after the artistic representation of a heart.

"Who are you?" Strike asked.

"Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice," the armored figure answered.

_The only reason my cards failed before was that I didn't put enough power into them,_ Yukari thought. _In that case, if I focus everything I have, I can fight, too!_

_FINAL VENT._

_FLOAT – DRILL – TORNADO – Spinning Dance._

As Yukari's cards attacked the sunflower monsters with renewed power, Kamen Rider Strike ran under Venosnaker and flipped back to land in the biomechanical cobra's jaws. With a burst of venom, Venosnaker sent Strike flying forward in a bicycle kick. Beside him, Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice flew into the air and threw himself into a corkscrew kick enhanced by a cyclone surrounding him. Yukari's cards and the dual Rider Kicks, together, trounced the sunflower monsters.

* * *

It was at that moment that Kamen Rider Onyx and Eubulon made it to the scene with the girls. Seeing that things had already been taken care of, Onyx and Eubulon disengaged their Rider armors while taking care not to be seen by Maya's friends. Strike and Shadow Chalice disappeared into the shadows, Strike to change back into Price without risking his identity and Shadow Chalice to do only who knew what.

"Plant monsters?" Kurumu exclaimed. "And Yukari beat all of them up?"

"Why would Yukari fight those things?" Moka asked.

Adam, in the meantime, had crossed over to catch Yukari before she collapsed from exhaustion. He looked over at Maya and her two friends. "You all right?"

"Yeah," Maya replied.

"She saved our lives!" Yoko exclaimed. "Her and those two armored guys!"

"What two armored guys?" Price asked, pretending as though nothing unusual had happened.

"One was in black-and-purple armor and had a giant purple cobra with him, and the other was in black armor like a mantis with hearts!" Yoko replied excitedly. Then she gestured at Yukari just as excitedly. "And this young witch fought with them to save us from those sunflowers!"

"Wow . . . sounds like I missed a party," Price remarked.

"Yeah, but at least we know what happened to all those people who disappeared here," Maya said.

Kurumu smiled softly at the sleeping Yukari. "I shouldn't be surprised. You really can't stand losing." She went up to the young witch, retrieving her witch's cap along the way and gently settling it on her head. "You're the last person I'd consider weak, Yukari. I'm sorry for what I said to you before."

"The question now is what were those carnivorous sunflowers doing here?" Eubulon mused aloud. "They're not supposed to grow in this world, not unless . . ."

"I sensed another Rider," Price whispered to Eubulon. "Not the one who came and helped me and Yukari. Someone else with an Advent Deck."

"Then he's already begun recruiting," Eubulon whispered.

* * *

In a secluded castle, a raspy voice murmured, "A witch? On my hill?"

"Yes, Master," a younger, throatier voice replied. "She's young, but she has very strong magic. She destroyed the magic plants that were entrusted to guard our precious sunflowers, albeit with help from a pair of armored humans calling themselves Kamen Riders."

"Well, well . . ." the raspy-voiced woman murmured. "How many years has it been since I saw another of our kind? We must welcome her, Ruby, since we are of the same blood."

"Won't be easy," a smooth male voice remarked, and out of the shadows came Xaviax in his standard human form of a middle-aged Caucasian man in a black overcoat over dark clothes. "She's very loyal to Kamen Rider Onyx. You'll have to do a lot to get her to turn against him, since that's the only way you can truly get her on your side."

The older witch chuckled. "Whatever they call themselves, they're still nothing more than filthy humans. They'll be dealt with just like the others."

"Just remember the plan," Xaviax advised, "and we'll _all_ get what we want, what we deserve." An ominous smile crossed his face, and the younger witch couldn't help but shiver at the sight of it.

She knew Xaviax wasn't actually human, but the unholy light in his eyes made her suspect that he was even more of a monster than he let on. She pulled out a black card case from her pocket, one marked with a stylized black raven symbol in its center. This would be the tool of her vengeance on the selfish humanity that had robbed her of her family, no matter the cost. She just had to stick to the plan . . . but was the maker of that plan really trustworthy?

Next: Riders in the City

* * *

End Notes: There you have it. Adam's had a reunion with Eubulon, Strike, and Maya, but who is Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice? What is Xaviax planning with his alliance with the Witches of the Hill, and is the younger of the witches right to have her doubts about him? What else (or who else) will Adam and the gang run into while back in the human world, and will these new meetings and experiences be for the better . . . or for the worse? For the answers to those questions and others, hang on for the next chapter and thanks in advance for your reviews! Special thanks to Kamen Rider Chrome for his help with this chapter!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"And now it's time for another edition of –!" Kurumu was interrupted by Yukari's "halt" gesture.

"We got a signal from the future!" Yukari exclaimed.

"A signal from the future?" Kurumu asked in confusion.

"Uh-huh!" Yukari confirmed. "This is everything that's coming our way in the days ahead!"

_A violet-eyed, brown-haired young woman in a pinkish-white bustier and ruffled split skirt over black tights thrusts out an Advent Deck with a black raven crest in its center. "Kamen Rider!"_

_Adam, as Kamen Rider Onyx, stands before a monstrous hybrid of plant and human, the creature Ruby's master has transformed herself into, and draws an Advent Card with outstretched silver wings on a black background. Dark flames ignite and spread around him. _SURVIVE MODE.

_Adam is dressed in new clothes, a black leather duster with the Onyx crest on the left breast over a black uniform. He thrusts out the Onyx Deck, while facing off against a very familiar man who thrusts out an Advent Deck of his own, a pinkish-magenta case marked with a gold firebird crest. "Kamen Rider!"_

_Adam's eyes have turned red with narrowed pupils, his hair is a silvery blond, and an intricate web of black marks is spreading over his face from where he was bitten by Moka. Screams of horror ring out as he savages his opponents with inhumanly calm brutality and an unsettlingly placid smile on his face, only his eyes betraying how much he's enjoying this fight._

_A young man with an Advent Deck marked by a shark crest stands waiting, as do others – one with a grasshopper crest, one with a wasp crest, one with a beetle crest, and one with an Orochi crest. The one holding the "Orochi" deck is in shadow, although there is a chilling sense of familiarity about him._

_A man on a motorcycle rides into a mirror, transforming into Kamen Rider Haze while his bike changes to resemble a firebird colored magenta, and passes through the mirror tunnel to the other side . . . where a plain-looking young man with dark brown hair sees him._

"We're in trouble . . ." Kurumu uttered, stunned at what she'd seen.

"Yeah . . ." Yukari agreed. "But we'll win! We always do!"

"Right!" Kurumu cheered. "We'll give them the old one-two! That's it for today, so please forgive us and we'll give you the goods next time!"

"Bye-bye!" Yukari added.


	18. Riders in the City

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 18: "Riders in the City"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is the property of Adness Entertainment, Ishinomori Productions, and Steve and Michael Wang. The concepts of Kamen Rider Blade belong to Toei and Ishinomori Productions, and Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money from the implementation of the characters and elements from the properties above; this is solely for fun.

Author's note: As you might have been able to tell from the preview that took the place of last chapter's "Rider Fashion Check," Ruby is a Kamen Rider here. Also, the other _Blade_ Riders are going to make an appearance, but American Blade and Garren will be familiar figures from KRDK. That's not where the fun ends, though; you'll also be seeing some of the other Ventaran Riders here and you'll find out what's happened since their reappearance in the finale of KRDK. Anyway, I've done enough talking; it's time to ride.

* * *

"It's hot out here," Adam mumbled while carrying two pails full of water to Moka and Yukari, who were resting under a tall tree near where the sunflower monsters had been trounced. "I forgot . . . all this time in Yokai Academy . . . how hot the human world could get." He looked at Yukari and then at Moka. "Has she woken up yet?"

"No," Moka replied concernedly. "She's not hurt, but she's exhausted from using so much of her powers."

Kurumu stared at Yukari's tarot card with an expression full of curiosity and wonder. "I wonder if she's ok. I mean, I was surprised to see how powerful she really was, beating all those monsters – even if she did do it with a couple of Kamen Riders helping her." She looked contemplative for a moment. "If she's so strong, why's she so scared of humans?"

"There's a lot we don't know about Yukari, isn't there?" Adam mused aloud. Before he could say anymore, he was interrupted by Yoko speaking up.

"Um, how's Yukari doing?" she asked.

"No, not yet," Moka replied.

"Yukari's the witch who lives on this hill, right?" Yoko voiced her suspicion.

"No," Eubulon denied gently. "We came here on a school expedition, to gather information for the Newspaper Club."

"So I was wrong?!" Yoko uttered in disbelief. Calming down a bit, she continued. "Sorry, it's just that there's been a legend about a witch living on this hill, in this ranch just up ahead. Then came the councilman's decision to build a factory around this area, and that was when people started disappearing."

"Disappearing?" Maya repeated.

"Yeah," Yoko replied. "According to rumor, the people who ended up missing were developers and factory managers that fell to divine punishment for angering the witch."

"And I've heard some people say that those people were whisked away by nature spirits to be punished for desecrating the land," Price added, causing Maya and Adam to look at him oddly. "That's what I heard, anyway."

"Price has a point," Eubulon remarked. "Many cultures have held legends of spirits that maintain the balance between civilization and nature and when that balance is threatened, they act to restore it – by whatever means they feel necessary."

Yukari, having woken up, glared at Yoko. "You don't even understand what you're talking about, so don't blame witches for this."

"Hey, Yukari," Adam greeted her.

"Thank God you're awake!" Kurumu squealed.

Yukari just ignored her. _Oh, yeah . . . we had a fight,_ Kurumu thought, remembering why Yukari would be hostile to her.

"We probably should get out of here fast if it's so dangerous," Maya remarked.

"How about we go into town and find our motel?" Moka suggested. "Nekonome-sensei should be there, and we can tell her about this."

"We could try to give you a ride . . . but it's going to be a lot of people to fit in," Yoko's sempai, feeling much better now, remarked as she pointed at the SUV she'd driven to the forest in.

"That's ok," Eubulon replied. "I made preparations." With that said, he and Price disappeared into the depths of the forest and came back with a pair of black sport motorcycles with orange highlights.

"Hey . . ." Adam uttered. He looked at Price.

"I left mine when Maya and I went with Yoko and her friend," Price replied. "I can ride with them."

"You just wanna be surrounded by women," Adam jibed.

"Takes one to know one, huh, Adam?" Price teased back.

Adam chuckled and walked to the bike he recognized as his, easily done since it was branded with the symbol of Kamen Rider Onyx. Granted, it was the same one he'd used as Dragon Knight, but since taking up the Onyx Deck, he figured Eubulon would have remodeled the bike in case he came back. Beside him, Eubulon got on the other bike, marked with the burnt bronze circular sigil recognizable as the Advent Master's symbol.

Just before Adam got on the bike, Kurumu tackle-hugged Adam from behind, pressing his head into her bosom. "Adam . . . let me ride with you . . ." she crooned amorously.

Maya, Yoko, and Yoko's sempai stared disbelievingly at Kurumu and Adam. Price just looked at them and sighed. "She does that a lot, from the looks of it."

"It's something you learn to adjust to," Eubulon added amusedly.

Even more startling to the human girls was when Mizore violently ripped Kurumu off Adam, threw her to the ground, and sidled up to him. "Adam . . . you can take _me_ riding. . . ." she purred, just as amorously as Kurumu had before.

As Adam struggled to decide between Kurumu and Mizore before the inevitable catfight broke out, Yukari felt the chill of the wind. "Yukari?" Moka asked softly. "Are you all right?"

Yukari didn't answer.

"Let's go," Moka urged softly.

"Yukari can ride with me," Eubulon offered.

"Are you sure about this?" Adam asked.

Eubulon just nodded and Yukari got behind Eubulon on his bike. The Advent Master passed her a helmet designed in the style of a witch's hat and Yukari put it on.

"I made it with you in mind," he said before putting on his own helmet.

"Thanks," Yukari replied softly.

Meanwhile, Mizore had won the fight with Kurumu and was now sitting on Adam's bike with him, both wearing closed motorcycle helmets. "Let's go," she whispered, holding him tightly. Strangely enough, she'd somehow kept the lollipop in her mouth while wearing the helmet.

* * *

As they rode away, Ruby watched them from her hiding spot up in a tree. "Master . . . those damnable humans made a mess in our sunflower garden and had the nerve to leave," she hissed furiously.

_Ruby, are you going to just let them get away like that?_ Ruby's master asked her telepathically. _I've told you before: Witches look out for each other. Bring her into the fold._

". . . It seems that she has companions with her," Ruby remarked. "The males are Kamen Riders, if General Xaviax's information is correct."

_Kamen Riders or not, they're still nothing but humans,_ Ruby's master insisted. _If they get in your way, you're free to kill them. Right now, we need as many comrades as we can find . . . to protect this land . . . to punish those damnable humans. Bring the young witch over to us. Can you do that, my disciple?_

"I understand, master," Ruby murmured, preparing the transformation magic when Xaviax interrupted in his human form.

"While transformation is a pretty nifty trick, I've always felt it works out much better to use your enemy's technology against him," the warlord remarked. "Like a motorcycle, just for example." With a flourish of power, Xaviax called forth a silver-black Yamaha sport bike. "Simple, streamlined, fast, and efficient. Use this in conjunction with your Rider transformation, and it gets even better." He smiled amiably at Ruby. "I know, I know, it's a little bit uncomfortable, especially given your past experience with motor vehicles, but you'll like it. Oh, you'll _like it._"

He tossed the keys to the bike to Ruby and she got on, moving her split-front skirt so she could sit more comfortably on the bike. She picked up the helmet that was perched over the bike's gas cap and quickly donned it. "Go ahead, turn it on," Xaviax coaxed her. "See how it feels."

Ruby put the key into the ignition and turned it to start the bike. She nearly fell off thanks to the rumble of the engine, holding on to the handlebars desperately. "I'm still not used to that . . ." she murmured.

"That's something only an experienced rider is used to," Xaviax admitted. "But you'll get there. How does it feel now?"

The engine's rumble had dulled to a steady vibration Ruby felt between her legs that were straddling the motorcycle. "It feels . . . nice," Ruby admitted, thanking the nature spirits that her helmet kept Xaviax from seeing her blush.

"Go on, enjoy yourself out there!" Xaviax offered, patting Ruby on the back like an affectionate father. "Go get 'em, girl!"

* * *

Ruby rode out into the city, following the Kamen Riders and their friends – or aspiring girlfriends, as the case was for many of them. As for the Riders themselves, they'd stopped where Yoko's sempai's SUV did, close enough to the motel for them to walk. "Thanks for the ride," Moka said.

"Yeah, you're really nice people!" Kurumu added.

Adam and Eubulon parked their motorcycles and got off with Mizore and Yukari, all four taking off their helmets and putting them aside. Moka, Kurumu, Maya, and Price stepped out of the SUV Yoko's sempai had been driving. Adam looked at Maya and Price, seeing the blushes on their faces. Judging by those blushes, the lack of space in the SUV had forced the couple to get a little closer than comfortable.

"Hope to see you again, Yukari!" Yoko shouted before her sempai drove off.

"So this is a human city . . ." Mizore remarked quietly. "Looks big . . . and crowded."

"This is so cool!" Kurumu exclaimed.

The Riders spotted Yukari looking around as though she were confused, frightened, or both. "Don't worry, Yukari," Maya tried to assure her. "We won't let anything happen to you."

_Yeah, it's easy to forget that my friends from Yokai Academy don't have much experience with the human world, let alone actually pleasant memories of it,_ Adam thought. _So I have to make sure their experience here on this trip is good._

He was broken out of his thoughts by the creeping warning sense his life as a Rider had familiarized him with. He turned to Price and Eubulon, who looked at him with expressions similar to how he felt. "I know," Price murmured. "There's another Rider around here, and whoever it is probably isn't on our side."

"One of Xaviax's Riders, no doubt," Eubulon added.

* * *

Speaking of that Rider, Ruby had found herself on the rooftop of a skyscraper, watching the Riders, the Yokai Academy girls, and Maya from above. "In a human city, of all places," she mused to herself. "I guess there are some witches that don't know what they're doing. Witches live in perfect symbiosis with nature, and seeing this one in a place where nature has been trampled underfoot by filthy humans makes me sick. I even feel sicker using one of their vehicles to travel . . ." She trailed off with a blush rising on her cheeks.

_. . ._ _But it felt nice . . ._ she admitted reluctantly.

* * *

Down below, Yukari was frightened _and_ confused. "There are so many people talking in this town."

Much to the Riders' ire, the crowd had noticed the girls . . . and much of their chatter was them whispering amongst themselves and their friends about them.

"Holy crap, man, did you see . . . ?"

"Hell yeah, I noticed . . ."

"They're so hot . . ."

"That girl with the pink hair is so hot . . ."

"Their skin looks so smooth and perfect. How do I get skin like that?"

"Are they models?"

"That one with the big boobs is pretty hot, too . . ."

"Holy crap, man, they must be double-Ds . . ."

"That girl with the lollipop's so sexy . . ."

"Yeah, like an ice princess . . ."

"Bet she's pretty wild in the sack once you get her to defrost . . ." A self-satisfied chuckle followed. "Yeah, get it? Defrost . . ."

Some of the bolder males rushed to approach the girls, only for Adam, Price, and Eubulon to form a protective barrier of sorts. "Shove off!" Adam snapped. "Bunch of damn perverts, raping them with your eyes! You make me sick!"

"Aww, what's the matter, tough guy?" one of the accosting males asked mockingly. "One of those hot chicks your girl? Or are they all your girls?"

Adam was about to slug him when Eubulon laid a hand on his shoulder. "Giving in to your anger right now would be a bad move." Turning to the accosting males, he fixed a firm stare upon them. "Now, I'll assume you all forgot your manners for a moment and let bygones be bygones so long as you give us our space. If you persist in behaving as you have, we will be forced to take action."

"You don't scare us, old man!" one of the younger and brasher of the accosting males retorted.

Eubulon smirked for a moment, just a moment, but that smirk flashed just enough malice and repressed bloodlust to say, "_Now_ do I scare you?"

Meanwhile, Yukari had gotten shoved out of the way by one of the males, only for another to help her up. "Hey, you all right?" he asked. Yukari turned and saw that it was a young man with brown hair, considerably darker than Adam's shade, and dressed in an unzipped black sweatshirt over a gray T-shirt and gray pants.

"Who are you?" Yukari asked.

"Trent," the young man replied, and then turned to the fashionably dressed mocha-skinned brunette beside him. "That's Lacey."

"Hey, what's with the costume?" Lacey asked. "It's not even Halloween."

"Lacey . . ." Trent interjected with good-natured warning in his tone.

As though the word "costume" was some kind of trigger, a virtual horde of creepy-looking sweaty young men rushed over to Yukari, chattering excitedly.

"Is that some kind of cosplay?"

"Wow, she's like a young witch . . ."

"So cute . . ."

"_Moe . . ._"

Yukari screamed in fright, and Lacey took a protective position with the younger girl while Trent got in the creepy men's faces. "Back off! Can't you see she's scared!?"

"Wow, what kind of costume is that?"

"Is there some kind of cosplay party?!"

"You guys are slow learners, aren't you?" Trent snarled, reaching into his pocket. Immediately, the creepy men backed off, thinking he was reaching for a gun. He wasn't, but what he was reaching for was a lot more powerful than a gun.

Meanwhile, Yukari was in the midst of hyperventilating, and having heard her frightened scream, Adam immediately ran to her side, the girls and other Riders following. "What happened here?" Adam asked.

"Bunch of freaking anime nerds came up to her and started hassling her!" Lacey replied. She looked at Trent apologetically. "No offense to you."

"None taken," Trent answered. "I'm more worried for her."

"Yukari, are you all right?" Kurumu asked.

"Hey, Trent," Adam greeted him. "Long time no see."

"Kit . . . ?" Lacey uttered. Then she shook her head, smiling almost flirtatiously at him. "No . . . you must be Adam, Kit's handsome twin brother from another universe."

Adam looked at her, nonplussed. "You know about Ventara?"

Kurumu's head whipped around from Yukari to Lacey with a dark glare, joined by Mizore, the two immediately suspecting that she was trying to move in on "their man."

"Yeah, that's my best friend Lacey," Maya explained, trying to cool down Kurumu and Mizore's ire. "She found out about Ventara and the Kamen Riders while Kit and Len were fighting alone against Xaviax and his Riders."

"Hello, Trent," Eubulon greeted him. "How are you adjusting to being the Rider System-02 Operator?"

"It's not bad," Trent replied, much to Adam's shock.

"You're a Rider now?" Adam asked.

"Different kind of Rider," Trent answered. "Still using cards, but the system's based on swiping instead of slotting."

"I made the new Rider System especially for the No-Men," Eubulon explained. "They've been dealing with the reawakening of essentially invincible creatures called Immortals, and I thought they could use a helping hand for when Ventara's Kamen Riders aren't available."

"All right," Adam said, understanding.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby continued observing Yukari and her friends through her raven familiars' eyes. "I knew . . . all along . . . witches cannot live alongside humans, especially not in their city." Those familiars flew away on Ruby's mental command, to bring Yukari to them.

* * *

"I've had it with this place!" Yukari shouted. "Humans and their world scare me!"

Adam's face darkened with rage and briefly resurgent self-loathing. While he'd been busy defending Moka's, Kurumu's, and Mizore's honor, Yukari had been assaulted by a bunch of lonely, horny men probably attracted to fantasy characters out of manga and anime. "I'm sorry, Yukari . . ." he murmured.

"Save your apologies!" Yukari snapped. "You don't understand! None of you understand! There's too much between my world and yours that's not the same!"

Adam looked down guiltily, while Kurumu stared down Yukari. "Stop it!" she yelled at Yukari. "It's not Adam's fault those creeps went after you! And his friends were even nice enough to try to defend you from them!"

Just then, a raven suddenly swooped down on Kurumu and attacked her, causing Kurumu to fling her arms out to repel the black-feathered bird. "What the –!"

"Why would a raven suddenly attack you?" Maya asked.

Price looked up, seeing a flock of ravens coming down on them. "Not just one . . ."

"It's an ambush," Eubulon concluded.

"An ambush?" Lacey asked.

"Another witch is doing this," Eubulon replied.

Just as the Riders and the girls were attempting to fend off the ravens, Yukari briefly saw Ruby's image in the reflection on the glass . . . but she didn't see the older girl in the real world. She was about to call out, but Ruby's hand quickly reached out of the reflection and planted itself on her mouth while her other hand grabbed Yukari and pulled her bodily into the reflection before vanishing.

"Yukari!" Moka called out. "You guys, Yukari's gone!"

"Not just another witch," Adam muttered, having sensed the mirror incursion along with Price and Eubulon. "Another Rider."

"And that Rider's working for Xaviax," Eubulon added, "which means he needs Yukari for something."

"Yukari won't fall for it!" Kurumu shouted. "She knows what he did to Adam! There's no way she could work with someone who'd hurt Adam like that!"

"She might not have a choice in the matter," Price replied. "And Xaviax can be very persuasive when he has something to hold over your head." He looked pointedly at Adam, as though to say, "You know."

"Then we have to get to her fast," Adam replied, as he, Price, and Eubulon thrust their Advent Decks at the mirrored glass where Ruby had emerged from and taken Yukari. Their Advent Belts formed from the lightning-like energy traveling from their decks to their waists and they locked their decks into the open slots that served as their buckles.

"Kamen Rider!"

Energy spheres and rings of their respective colors surrounded the three Riders, forming their respective armored battle suits. When the transformations were complete, the spheres and folding rings vanished, revealing Kamen Riders Onyx, Strike, and Zero where Adam, Price, and Eubulon had once stood.

"Let's go!" Onyx ordered. The three Riders ran towards the glass and slipped right through.

"My turn," Trent uttered, and withdrew a bulky rectangular device from his pocket. He took out a card resembling the Ace of Spades, complete with a beetle design and slotted it within that device before affixing it to his waist. A belt formed out of what looked like playing cards and wrapped around his waist, further securing the high-tech buckle. "Kamen Rider!"

He pulled a switch on the buckle, and the buckle's façade became a golden spade within a red background. _"Turn up,"_ the belt called out. The spade symbol whirred inside the buckle, similar to how the Advent Decks whirred inside the Ventaran Riders' buckles. Unlike them, though, it formed two blue energy platforms flanking Trent, one with the Ace of Spades symbol and the other with the symbol of a beetle.

The two platforms collided with Trent, front and back, merging with him to create a suit of blue armor with harder silver armor over his chest and shoulders, the chest armor being marked with an angular spade symbol. Two studded blue bands wrapped around each thigh and upper arm, while gauntlets and greaves that looked as though they were made out of playing cards encased his arms and legs. A silver-faced helmet with insect-like red eyes and a protruding horn similar to that of a Japanese rhino beetle covered his face. To top it all off, he had a strange sword with what looked like a deck of cards stored within its handle strapped to his left leg.

"Wow . . ." Lacey uttered, stunned at what she had just seen. Her previous encounters with Rider transformations hadn't been that pleasant, so it was a shock for her to see her longtime acquaintance and semi-boyfriend transform into one. If this wasn't proof what he was doing with the No-Men wasn't just some hyped-up spook job, she had no idea what would be.

The transformed Trent looked at Lacey and then turned to Maya, Mizore, Moka, and Kurumu. "Let's get Yukari back."

* * *

Speaking of Yukari, the young witch woke up in a strange meadow just outside a forest. "What . . . where am I . . . where is everyone?"

"Hey there," Ruby greeted her softly. "How did you like the humans' city? Not very well, I take it."

"What is this place?" Yukari asked.

"A forest, even if it is a simulacrum created by my ally's powers," Ruby replied. "It's actually a kind of pocket dimension that can look like whatever he wants it to look like. Even so, it's much better than a human city, where nature has been completely stamped out by human ego and selfishness. A terrible place for a witch, isn't it?"

Yukari shrank away from the raven that flew toward her. "Oh, don't be frightened," Ruby tried to comfort the younger witch. "The ravens you see here are my friends and they can be your friends, too. They saved you from those filthy humans, after all."

"Who are you?" Yukari asked.

"I'm Ruby, and I live in what the humans call 'Witch's Knoll,'" Ruby replied. "I really wanted to be your friend, so I came to get you. Don't you see? Humans are our enemy, pitiful, weak creatures that only know how to destroy. Witches don't need to have anything to do with them."

Yukari looked at Ruby suspiciously. "You came out of a mirror. Like a Kamen Rider. Are you working for that man that tried to hurt Adam!?"

"Why, yes, she is," a familiar, smooth male voice confirmed, and Yukari turned to see Xaviax's human form strolling toward her and Ruby with the demeanor of a man used to getting what he wanted. "You see, I share her sentiments about humans. Their drive for destruction will ultimately be their own downfall, but why should everything else on this planet go down with them? Better to just wipe them out and start fresh."

"He's lying to you, Ruby!" Yukari shouted. "Xaviax doesn't care about protecting nature, only about getting power for himself!"

"See these beautiful sunflowers?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the flowers blooming all over the meadow. "We have them in abundance at the Witch's Knoll, but the humans are trying to destroy them and our knoll. That is why we need you, Yukari, to defeat those damned humans. Will you help us?"

"Not if he's with you!" Yukari shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Xaviax.

"I understand, Yukari," Xaviax answered softly. "You have great feelings for Kamen Rider Onyx. You want to protect him, to be with him, but ask yourself this: Is it really worth going so far, defying your own kind, to protect someone who betrayed an entire world once and would have betrayed another had he not been found out? Face it, Adam is not someone you want to bank your future on. The Kamen Riders found that out, Ventara found that out, I found that out, and _you'll_ find that out, too."

At that moment, they were interrupted by a familiar voice. "As usual, Xaviax, you're trying to deceive more innocent people into helping you fulfill your own selfish ambitions."

Xaviax snarled. "Eubulon . . ."

Indeed, the three Ventaran Riders – Eubulon/Zero, Price/Strike, and Adam/Onyx – had arrived, along with Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and Trent in his unique Rider form. "Are you really going to go through with this, Yukari?" Eubulon asked.

"Adam, everyone?!" Yukari uttered in shock.

"How did you humans know we were here?" Ruby asked.

"Adam led them here," Xaviax replied, smirking darkly. "He knows this little pocket dimension very well, don't you, Adam? It's where you hid out with your little girlfriend after helping me take out the other Riders and conquer Ventara."

"You tricked me," Onyx snarled. "Just like you're trying to trick Yukari. Just like you're trying to trick her." He pointed to Ruby.

Xaviax looked at Trent. "So, you must be Eubulon's latest experiment in creating Kamen Riders. Wonder what your name is?"

"Knight Saber," Trent replied, drawing the strange sword from its sheath.

Onyx looked at Yukari. "What do you say, Yukari? We don't have to worry about the report. If it's that bad for you to be in the human world, we can go back to Yokai Academy." He reached out to her with a gauntleted hand.

"Adam . . ." Yukari murmured. _Even after I said those things to you, you still . . ._

Just as she reached out for Adam, she was interrupted by a shout of "Kamen Rider" from Ruby, and that was when they got a good look at her Advent Deck, a silver case with a black raven crest, as she slammed it into the open slot of her Advent Belt. She spread her arms out, thrusting her (not-at-all-small) chest outward and raising her face to the illusory sky as a bronze-tinged black energy sphere with twin folding rings surrounded her and formed her Kamen Rider armor.

The new Kamen Rider resembled Kamen Rider Siren a great deal, only her armor was colored black. Bronze feathering emphasized her shoulders, growing from a golden raven symbol emblazoned on a mostly black breastplate. Her gauntlets and boots were also colored black, and her Visor was a rapier-like sword similar to Siren's. The main difference was that the cross-guard resembled a raven with ornate, bronze-colored "wings." Her mask resembled Siren's, but nearly white with a sharper, more angular bronze "crown" complete with a light purple gem in its center.

"Like her?" Xaviax asked. "I call her Kamen Rider Noir."

Ruby, now dubbed Kamen Rider Noir, drew her Visor rapier and felled Onyx immediately with a vicious slash. "Don't fall into their trap, Yukari," she murmured coldly upon seeing the horror on Yukari's face. She pulled a card out of her deck and slotted it into her Visor. "Humans are our enemies and those who stand with them are also our enemies. All our enemies should be killed without hesitation, right?"

_STRIKE VENT._

Immediately, three pairs of metallic raven wings attached themselves to Noir's back. "Don't look so sad. They're just humans. And _I'll_ be your friend from now on."

_SWORD VENT._

_SWORD VENT._

The Veno Saber and the Alter Lance fell into Strike's and Zero's hands, respectively, and they both moved in to attack Noir, whose metallic wings reached out to slash them with enough force to strike them down. An enraged Kurumu and Mizore moved to attack Noir, Kurumu shouting, "How dare you do that to Adam!"

Noir merely lashed out with her wings again, striking down Kurumu as well while Mizore was barely able to evade in time, and even she had a scratch to show for her efforts. Noir turned to Yukari. "They never understood you in the first place, did they, and all they did was give you trouble."

"Trent, be careful!" Strike called out. "Her wings have blades in them!"

Knight Saber slashed a pair of his Rouse Cards through the reader built into his sword. _SLASH – THUNDER – Lightning Slash._

His sword energized by electrical energy, Knight Saber dashed at Noir to strike her down with the Saber Rouser, only for Noir to block it with . . .

_GUARD VENT._

Immediately, her wings constricted around her to block Knight Saber's Lightning Slash maneuver. When they unfolded, Noir turned to the slowly recovering Onyx, who was being held by Moka. "I'll make this quick so you don't have to suffer, Yukari."

"Stop it!" Yukari shouted, dashing in front of Onyx and Moka to block Noir's Strike Vent with her own body. She survived with only a scratch on her face because Noir had stopped at the last second.

"Why . . . ?" Noir asked, surprised by what Yukari had done.

"You . . . they're my friends," Yukari hissed. "Even if it's a witch that strikes at them, I will not forgive anyone that hurts my friends."

Noir stepped back for a moment, shocked. Then that shock turned to anger. "You mean to tell me that your friendship with mere humans matters more to you than our people?! I cannot – no, I _will not_ – accept this!" She was about to attack Yukari this time, when she was interrupted by a familiar call.

_STRIKE VENT._

Dragblacker emerged from a portal in the ground and at Onyx's command via the black Drag Claw on his right arm breathed black flame at Noir. With another activation of "Guard Vent," Noir wrapped her wings around her body to protect her from the black flames. When she unfurled the wings, she was slashed by a surprisingly fast-moving Kamen Rider Onyx with the black Drag Saber.

"What the –?" Noir uttered in surprise. "How are you still alive?! I enhanced that sword with my magical power! You should be dead."

"Surprise, surprise," Onyx retorted with cold mocking in his tone. "I'm not. Dunno about you, though."

Noir jumped back from Onyx and slotted another Advent Card. "I won't let you beat me!"

_SWORD VENT._

A large black dual-bladed lance with circular sigils at the base of each blade fell into Noir's hands and she slashed at Onyx, who alternately dodged and blocked her swings. Finally catching her lance with his Drag Saber, Onyx kneed her in the stomach and elbowed her in the chest, knocking her to the ground. However, she rolled to her feet and planted her lance in the ground before slotting a new Advent Card.

_TRICK VENT._

Her three pairs of metal wings appeared on her back again, only to shatter into their individual black feathers this time. The feathers scattered all over the false meadow, blinding everyone except Noir, who picked up her lance and attacked Onyx. Eubulon, Price, and Trent jumped into the fray to defend the presumably still-wounded Adam, only to catch the worse of Noir's attack.

_SPEED VENT._

Eubulon attempted to use his newfound acceleration to attack Noir faster and harder. To his shock, he'd really been attacking Knight Saber, who'd been frantically defending himself with his own speed technique sourced from _MACH_ Rouse Card. "What the hell?!" Trent shouted.

"Her Trick Vent . . . it's confusing our senses so we go after each other instead!" Strike concluded.

"Then focus," Eubulon answered, "and we should be able to see through the illusions to our real foe."

Knight Saber slashed three Rouse Cards through his sword's card reader. _BEAT – THUNDER – MACH – Lightning Strike._

His body engulfed in an aura of lightning, Knight Saber rushed at Noir with incredible speed for a powerful punch. Noir attempted to deflect the blow with her lance, but the lance proved to be an inadequate shield and was knocked out of her hands. With another punch, Knight Saber felled her, at which point Onyx stepped in front of him.

"I'll finish this."

Both he and Noir drew their Final Vent cards, the sight of which made Yukari shout at them. "Stop! You don't have to vent each other!"

"There is no chance for friendship between a witch and a human," Noir stated coldly, opening the cross-guard of her Visor. In front of her, Onyx prepared his own Final Vent.

"Adam, don't!" Yukari pleaded.

"Listen to her, Adam!" Eubulon pleaded. "You don't want to do this to another Rider, particularly one who's merely being used!"

_FINAL VENT._

A giant biomechanical raven flew down from the sky and Noir jumped up to let its talons grasp her. Together, they swooped down on Onyx, and the biomechanical raven that served as Noir's Advent Beast released her for a descending kick that would surely mean Onyx's venting.

_KICK – THUNDER – MACH – Lightning Sonic._

In a blur of lightning-edged speed, Knight Saber rushed into a flying kick that intercepted Noir's Final Vent. The resulting collision induced an explosion of compressed air and electricity that knocked everyone around. When it was all over, Knight Saber and Noir were staggering about in pained exhaustion, barely able to stand.

"I am not . . . doing that again . . ." Knight Saber groaned, falling to one knee. Noir had just collapsed entirely, her Rider transformation undoing itself to reveal Ruby.

"How . . . ?" she murmured. _Witches are a noble, powerful race. How could I lose . . . to mere humans . . . ? What are these guys?_ Those were her last thoughts before passing out, at which point the Riders heard Xaviax's mocking clapping.

* * *

"Nice show," he commented with a malicious smirk.

"What's your game this time, Xaviax?" Eubulon interrogated, glaring at Xaviax through his visor. "What does it have to do with the Witch's Knoll?"

"Oh, nothing," Xaviax replied. "It's just a matter of building a power base to challenge you with. You have your forces, Eubulon; it's only fair I have an army of my own. By the way, thank you for not bonding your new Advent Decks to anyone in particular; means I don't have to waste time with useless punks when I can get real fighters to work with me."

"You still have to trick them," Onyx snapped. "Does she even know what you really want with this world?"

"To cleanse it of humans," Xaviax replied. "And I will, just not how she thinks it's going to work."

"You mean you're going to make them your slaves to rebuild Karsh," Eubulon accused.

"Better than just killing them like she wants," Xaviax admitted lightly. "As much contempt as I hold for humanity, they have their uses, and I'm going to get as much mileage out of the little bastards as I can. In the meantime, since you were the ones dumb enough to spare her, I leave her in your hands. You'll only have to worry about what I'll tell her caretaker. She'll be _so scared_ for poor little Ruby, in the hands of you mean old humans!"

"You're disgusting," Knight Saber snarled, slowly fighting his way to his feet.

"Funny, I think the same thing about you," Xaviax retorted casually. "Sayonara. Take care of Ruby for me." That was when Xaviax left, dispersing the illusory forest meadow to reveal a void-like dimension seemingly made of crystals.

"We'll get him next time, Adam," Eubulon answered. "Right now, we need to tend to our wounded."

The Riders dispelled their transformations, Trent's undoing itself via a pair of blue energy platforms that merged and then pulled away from him to reveal his ordinary-looking teenaged self. Immediately, Eubulon moved to Ruby, Price went to Trent, and Adam to Yukari, all three Ventaran Riders channeling healing energy into their "patients." After Adam was finished healing Yukari, she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry . . ." she said, before looking at Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore as well. "I'm sorry for the things I said. Even if you can't understand me as well as I wish you could, you're all still my friends, and I like being with you." She immediately hugged Adam, who hugged her back. Then she looked at Trent and smiled shyly at him. "Thanks for saving me back there."

"You're welcome," Trent replied with a smile.

"We'd better get out of here," Adam suggested.

"Hey, wait . . ." Mizore asked, just as Adam healed her scratch. "How are we going to get to our hotel?"

"Yeah, we never managed to find it before all this," Kurumu added, just as Price healed her scratches.

"GPS," Trent replied. "Never leave home without it."

"Fine, but let's get out of here first," Price suggested. "Then we can talk about GPS."

Next: Friendship with the Dragon

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, an extra-long chapter of Onyx and Vampire to compensate for making you go more than a month without an update! Hope you enjoyed this, and any questions you have, I will gladly answer. Such as, "Yes, that really is Kamen Rider Blade, or as I've Americanized him, KR Knight Saber." The Rouse combos you saw him use do come from the _Blade_ series, with the exception of the "Rider Punch" version of Lightning Sonic; that one I made up.

Yes, Ruby is a Kamen Rider working for Xaviax and whatever it is Xaviax really wants from her is sure to be very different from what she thinks and far more dangerous. As for her armor design, it's based on a "Ryuga-styled" version of Kamen Rider Femme, Siren's Japanese original, called "Noir" that I found on DeviantArt (praise be to Prime-101 if he sees this). Anyway, there's going to be a lot more action and drama to come in this story, so hang on and until next time . . . we ride to survive!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Well, that was an exciting new chapter!" Kurumu exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I really wish I hadn't said those things . . ." Yukari murmured. "I really hurt Adam . . ."

"It's ok, Yukari!" Kurumu insisted. "And we'll beat that bastard Xaviax no problem! It's that girl Ruby I don't trust!"

"You think she's going to try to hurt Adam?" Yukari wondered.

Kurumu looked away for a moment and when she looked back, her expression brightened. "Never mind that now! We've got a new edition of _**Rider Fashion Check**_ to do! I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm Yukari Sendo, and our man of the hour is . . . Kamen Rider Thrust!" Yukari pressed a button on the keyboard and the screen behind them showed an image of a rhinoceros-styled Kamen Rider in thick silver-gray armor. "This is Kamen Rider Thrust and out of the Ventaran Riders, he's one of the strongest."

"His armor's definitely made for endurance!" Kurumu commented. "Just look at that chest!" She used a pointer to draw attention to the thick silver armor over Thrust's torso. Quickly, a pondering look settled on her face. "But why does he need a horn on his shoulder?"

"The horn's part of his Visor," Yukari explained, taking the pointer and using it to point out the left shoulder piece of Thrust's armor. "This is the Metal Visor, where Kamen Rider Thrust slots his cards. While his fighting style is based largely on raw power, like with his Strike Vent, the Metal Horn . . ."

Another button on the keyboard was pressed, and Thrust's image suddenly manifested a metallic rhino's head on his arm. "This is what he uses most often in a direct physical confrontation, combining his strength with his Strike Vent to beat down his enemies, and his Final Vent has him riding his Advent Beast to impale his foe!"

"Scary . . ." Kurumu uttered.

"But there's more," Yukari added. "If Kamen Rider Thrust has to fight another Kamen Rider, he has the Confine Vent, which allows him to negate any Advent Card the other Rider tries to use. That ability, more than just his physical strength, is what makes him somebody you don't want to mess with!"

"What's he like?" Kurumu asked.

"From what Adam's said, Cam is a pretty cool guy," Yukari replied. "He likes lifting weights and trying to get stronger, but he's not a muscle-headed jerk; it's just something of a hobby of his. But his Earth counterpart, Brad Barrett, he was a motocross racer who got framed for sabotaging his main competition and got barred from performance racing.

"Xaviax set him up, too, and made him Kamen Rider Thrust by telling him that it'd help him get the evidence to clear himself. Brad thought it was some kind of fight club at first, but even when he found out the real deal with Xaviax, he still fought the other Kamen Riders because he thought it was the only way to get what he wanted."

"Did he get what he wanted?" Kurumu wondered.

"JTC vented him on Xaviax's orders, to keep him from joining Dragon Knight and Wing Knight like Chris Ramirez did," Yukari replied. "But after Eubulon freed him from the Advent Void, he dropped off proof that Brad was innocent and Brad went back to motocross racing. Speaking of Chris . . . we're going to be talking about Kamen Rider Sting next time!"

"So stay tuned for the next edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu added. "Bye-bye now!"


	19. Friendship with the Dragon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 19: "Friendship with the Dragon"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang, Adness Entertainment, and Ishinomori Productions. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media. I make no money from the use of either property in this story and I am only doing this for my own entertainment.

Author's note: For those of you with short memories, the last two chapters involved the Newspaper Club traveling to the human world to investigate strange disappearances around the area where the Kamen Riders were active during the war with Xaviax. They ran into some old friends, one of them with a Rider upgrade of his own, and encountered a new enemy. Having been defeated, that enemy is now in the custody of the Newspaper Club and the Kamen Riders. For the answers to the question of what will become of them all, read on.

* * *

"They have her?" Ruby's master, Lady Yukata, repeated in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"I told you not to underestimate the Kamen Riders," Xaviax remarked coolly.

"I thought giving Ruby one of those decks would make her unbeatable!" Yukata protested.

"It boosted her fighting abilities, yes, but she has almost no experience in direct combat," Xaviax answered. "The Riders on Eubulon's side are trained warriors. Human, but with the armor and the Advent Beasts, quite formidable."

Yukata growled softly. "Damn them. What could they be doing to her now?"

"Nothing good," Xaviax replied, lying through his teeth as usual. "They'll interrogate her, demand everything she knows about you, about this place, about what you're up to. She'll be strong, at first . . . but not forever, not after they're done with her." He smiled brightly. "Luckily for you, I have another operative, another Rider I've recruited to my side. He'll bring her back – and offer you the heads of your enemies on a platter."

"Good," Yukata hissed. "I'll enjoy feeding them to my flowers."

"Won't we all?" Xaviax agreed. "Won't we all?"

* * *

"_Ruby . . . see? This is the humans' city."_

_A young girl with long brown hair, part of it tied in small tails while most of it flowed freely, looked about the city with wondering eyes. "All those lights . . . they twinkle just like stars . . ."_

"_I see you love it already . . . Wouldn't it be nice if we could all live in peace, witches and humans alike?"_

_Ruby never had time to answer that question, as her parents shoved her out of the street . . . and out of harm's way. It was quick thinking on their part, quick enough to save their daughter. Sadly, it wasn't quick enough to save _them_ from the intoxicated man erratically driving his SUV._

* * *

The Kamen Riders of Ventara, plus Trent, met with Eubulon outside the room where Ruby was recovering. "So he's already started recruiting Riders again," Nolan, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Wrath, remarked.

"He has, and if the girl in the other room is any indication, he's taking advantage of the stolen decks being unlocked," Eubulon added.

"I say we vent her," Hunt, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Axe, suggested harshly.

"Not cool, man," Hunt's brother Chase, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Spear, admonished.

"Xaviax recruited her," Hunt stated, not backing down. "So she doesn't even count as a real Rider."

"You wanna repeat that?" Kit Taylor, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, prompted with a steely tone in his voice.

"Xaviax recruits people he can exploit," Len, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Wing Knight, explained. "That doesn't make them all bad people, and not everyone he recruited the first time fell for his lies."

"And why so quick with the venting?" Ian, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Incisor, asked. "You still sore about . . . ?"

Hunt glared at Ian before turning to the door behind which Ruby rested.

"Yeah, all the answer we need," Ian concluded.

"Sorry I'm late," a voice said, and the Riders found themselves seeing double. "I am still not gonna be able to get used to that."

"Used to what?" Quinn, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Sting, asked. "Because it's kinda weird for me, too, seeing a twin brother I didn't even think I was going to meet."

Chris Ramirez, formerly the Kamen Rider Sting of Earth and the first draftee into the No-Men's Rider Defense Project, looked at Quinn. "Yeah, I get that."

"Kamen Rider Dime Trigger," Eubulon greeted. "It's nice to see you could make it."

Chris fist-bumped Kit, Len, and Trent in short succession, then looked at Kase, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Siren, with a respectful nod that was returned by the one woman among the Ventaran Riders. "Yeah, sorry I took so long."

"I was just about to explain to some people that not all of the Riders Xaviax recruited before were bad people, just people that had been deceived in one way or another into becoming his pawns," Eubulon explained. "I believe it's much the same with Kamen Rider Noir, and you know this better than most."

Just then, the Riders heard a shout. "She must be awake," Price, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Strike, concluded.

"You think?" Chance, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Torque, chided lightly.

Nolan made powerful strides toward the door and opened it, peeking inside to find Ruby and Adam thrusting their Advent Decks toward each other. Moka and Yukari had gotten between them, trying to quell the tension before a fight broke out, while Kurumu was ready to back Adam up, and Mizore looked on impassively.

"You're still injured, Ruby!" Yukari pleaded.

"It's not a good idea to fight a wounded opponent, Adam," Nolan said, making his presence known.

"Who are you?" Ruby shouted. "Another human?"

"I'm Nolan, Kamen Rider Wrath. You're Ruby, Kamen Rider Noir. That's Adam, who you know as Kamen Rider Onyx, and those girls are his entourage of sorts – Moka Akashiya, Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendo, and Mizore Shirayuki. We didn't bring you here to hurt you, merely to heal your wounds."

"This is what's going on," Adam said. "Nolan and I are Kamen Riders, and apparently so are you. Moka's a vampire, Kurumu's a succubus, Yukari's a witch, and Mizore's a snow fairy."

Ruby's face betrayed surprise for a brief moment before hardening into a furious expression. "I am a witch!" she shouted, grabbing Adam by his shirt collar. "I only took the power of a Kamen Rider so I could destroy you humans!" She looked at the girls. "Trying to pass for ayashi! Ridiculous! You can't be ayashi, because ayashi and witches can never be friends with humans!"

It was at that moment that Nolan placed one gentle yet firm hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I'll have to ask you to let go of him. Or else you will see what being a Kamen Rider really means."

Ruby let go of Adam, and Adam rubbed his wounded shoulder. "Wait . . . is that . . . when we fought, I . . ." She struggled for something to say. "Why are you helping me? I tried to kill you!"

"That's what we do," Adam replied with a wistful smile. "We fight to save and protect people, even people who don't think they should be saved . . . or protected."

Outside the hotel room, Shizuka Nekonome and the bus driver were enjoying their meal of grilled fish. The bus driver couldn't help but be worried. "I know these Kamen Riders are formidable fighters for just being human, but it's possible this could get beyond even their abilities, and we have the students to consider first and foremost. If we have to, we'll call Yokai Academy for backup, understood?"

"Backup, hmm?" Nekonome-sensei repeated.

* * *

The next day, Adam offered Ruby breakfast. "Breakfast coming up, milady," he offered chivalrously. "You look much better today."

_He's just a human,_ Ruby thought, _so why did I feel a dreadful aura coming from him during our fight? It was so inhuman I thought I would choke on it, but now . . . now it sleeps. Now he's just a human, like any other._

Just then, Yukari came in carrying two plastic bags full of goods. "Hey, Yukari, how was the city?" Adam asked.

"It wasn't bad," Yukari replied, gesturing with the bags. "I got these from the supermarket!"

"Not bad," Mizore mumbled.

"And you were so scared of the city at first, too!" Moka added.

"And everybody gets something to drink!" Yukari offered, passing out the drinks. "I didn't think anyone would understand me, but now . . . I think I should try harder to understand everyone else."

"Yukari?" Kurumu uttered in surprise.

"All thanks to Adam!" Yukari cheered, hugging Adam tightly. "It's because of him that I came up with this idea!"

Ruby watched their interaction with disbelief so thick she almost choked on it. "Stop joking around! You guys . . . so naïve . . ." She quickly shed her composure. "I'm not going to be fooled by this act! I know how dirty and selfish humans are, and I'll never trust a single one!" She lunged at Adam. "I'll peel that monstrous human skin of yours off right now!"

"Adam, look out!" Kurumu shouted.

Adam merely caught Ruby's outstretched arm with his free hand while using the other to offer her his drink. "I knew someone who thought about humans in much the same way you do. He thought they were selfish creatures that only existed to hurt and exploit each other, but then he found himself becoming a Rider, a defender of humanity. And then he fell in love with someone that showed him that not all humans were so corrupt, that there were good people worth fighting for.

"Whatever's happened to you in the past, I can't change that. The only thing I can do now is give you my friendship and my word that I won't let them destroy your home. That'll have to do for now."

Ruby looked at the soda bottle Adam had offered to her for several moments – and then slapped it out of his hand. "There's nothing you can do about it, anyway! The humans have already angered my master, and now there's nothing more to do than watch this city burn."

* * *

That night, Xaviax was communicating with one of his other Riders. "Depth Charge, have you gotten there yet?"

"Yeah, I've been on it, General," a young biker replied, looking at Xaviax's image in the reflection of his motorcycle's GPS screen. "She's not easy to find. Eubulon must be protecting her somehow."

"Well, hurry it up," Xaviax ordered. "Yukata's getting antsy, and there's only so long I can keep her pacified. We need Ruby back with us as soon as possible."

"I hear you," the biker answered. "Depth Charge, out."

* * *

Back in the hotel, Ruby got out of her bed and went to where Adam and the girls were sleeping. She hovered over Adam's bed, watching his face twitch unconsciously, as though he were dreaming about something or someone. She looked at the drink in her hand, the very drink he had offered her before.

"_The only thing I can do now is give you my friendship and my word that I won't let them destroy your home."_

It was sweet of him, being so compassionate to someone who had tried to kill him three times, but it would make no difference. He would die. The girls in his company would die. The Kamen Riders would die. This entire city would die. That was the price of angering her master, and the humans would learn the error of their ways while drowning in fire.

"Can't sleep either?" Yukari asked softly, trying not to wake the others.

Ruby quickly turned. "Oh, it's you, Yukari . . ."

As Yukari and Ruby walked out of the hotel room, they were accosted by a lurking Eubulon. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked softly.

"It's not about what I want," Ruby answered ruefully. Something came to her. "Where's my stick, Yukari? I can't properly harness my powers without it."

"You can stay a little while longer," Yukari suggested. "I'm sure Adam wants to be your friend . . . and Eubulon cares, too."

"My parents died in a car accident when I was young," Ruby explained tearfully. "It was a human who killed them, a stupid, drunken human. My parents managed to push me away in time to save me, but not in time to save themselves. All I could do, from that day forward was hate humans, hate their world, hate everything associated with them!"

"And that's why you joined Xaviax," Eubulon deduced.

"My master formed an alliance with him," Ruby explained softly. "We didn't know what he was; we just knew that he had power and that he hated the humans as much as we did."

"Ruby . . ." Yukari murmured.

"You're lucky, Yukari, to have friends like Adam . . ." Ruby muttered. "I'm a little jealous of you. I wish I could have met you all sooner." She turned away and began to run, as Yukari called out to her. Adam was about to try to intercept her when he was interrupted by Eubulon.

"Another of Xaviax's Riders has come here."

* * *

Outside the hotel complex, the young biker rode up to Ruby and pulled her stick from behind his back. "Here you go." He handed the stick to her. "Now get on and let's get back before Yukata blows a fuse."

"You don't speak of my master that way!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Your master, not mine," the biker answered.

"And who are you, anyway?" Ruby asked.

The biker held up a teal blue card case emblazoned with an emblem resembling a shark's head. "Kamen Rider Depth Charge, at your service. Now let's get out of here."

"That's as far as you go," a voice said, as several black bikes raced out of shimmering portals within the reflections of the windows. The young biker recognized the symbols on the bikers' jackets.

"Strike, Torque, and Wrath," he recited. "Eubulon called his big guns, didn't he?"

"You're not going anywhere with her," Nolan declared.

"I think I am," the young biker replied, getting off his motorcycle. "Ruby, get back to your master and the general. I'm gonna work these jokers."

"But . . ." Ruby started to say, only to be interrupted by Eubulon, Adam, and the girls coming out.

"Go!" the biker ordered, giving her his helmet. This revealed his face in the process, said face being partly obscured by the dark hair in his eyes. What wasn't obscured, though, was the cold smirk his lips had quirked into.

Ruby put on the helmet before reluctantly revving the bike and riding away, much to the protests of Yukari. "I'll chase her down," Adam said, heading for his own bike.

"No, you don't, harem boy," the biker objected, thrusting his Advent Deck out. In a burst of aqua-blue energy, an Advent Belt formed around his waist.

"Who are you?" Adam asked.

"You'll see after I'm through kicking your ass," the biker replied. "Kamen Rider." He slid his Advent Deck into the empty slot that was the buckle of his Advent Belt. As it locked in, the transformation was initiated, an aqua-blue energy sphere surrounding him as twin energy rings folded around his body to form the armor.

Kamen Rider Depth Charge stood before them, fully transformed. One of the most notable features of that armor was a chest guard that resembled a shark's maw. Another was a Visor gauntlet resembling a shark's head, with his hand "captive" within the gauntlet's "jaws." His face was concealed by a helmet modeled after a shark's head with the visor almost resembling gills. The armor's under-sheath was colored black, like that of many other Kamen Rider armors, but the guards on his chest, shoulders, arms, thighs, and calves were colored aqua-blue and silver.

"Adam, go!" Eubulon ordered. "Strike, Torque, Wrath, and I will deal with him."

"All right," Adam conceded, getting on his motorcycle and riding off toward Witch's Knoll while the mysterious driver brought his bus over for the girls to ride.

"And now that they're out of the way . . ." Depth Charge remarked sadistically.

Price, Chance, and Nolan got off their motorcycles before thrusting out their Advent Decks beside Eubulon. After their Advent Belts formed, four shouts of "Kamen Rider" could be heard as they locked their decks into the slots of their buckles. Energy spheres of different colors surrounded each of them as twin rings folded over them to form their armors, dissipating once the transformations finished.

With multiple calls of _"SWORD VENT,"_ Strike, Wrath, Eubulon, and Depth Charge summoned their Veno Saber, twin Gold Sabers, Alter Lance, and Abyss Saber respectively. Torque just drew his Magna Visor, a stylized submachine gun, and started shooting at Depth Charge, who blocked the shots with his Abyss Saber.

Wrath flashed out of sight, reappearing behind Depth Charge in a flurry of golden feathers to slash him with both Gold Sabers. Depth Charge just whirled to kick Wrath in retaliation for the slash, but one call of _"SPEED VENT"_ later, Eubulon blitzed him for a slash with his Alter Lance. Strike jumped over Eubulon and slashed Depth Charge with his Veno Saber, only for Depth Charge to block with his Abyss Saber.

"You guys are pretty tough," Depth Charge remarked. "I like that."

Then he kicked Strike in the stomach, but just in time to hear a call of _"SHOOT VENT."_ Depth Charge saw Torque aiming the Giga Cannon at him and ran at the gunslinger Rider, intending to take him out before he fired. Torque fired the Giga Cannon and Depth Charge barely managed to move in time to evade the blast. Not one to give up, Torque was about to shoot again when Depth Charge just jumped on top of the cannon and slid on its surface to kick Torque in the head.

Just as Depth Charge landed on his feet, Wrath flashed in front of him and slashed him with the Gold Sabers. Depth Charge attempted to retaliate, but Wrath disappeared in a flurry of gold feathers and reappeared to slash him in the side. As Depth Charge tried to strike back, Eubulon zoomed at him to slash him with the Alter Lance. Just as Depth Charge was about to attack, Strike jumped into a corkscrew kick that knocked down the shark Rider.

"What does Xaviax want here?" Eubulon interrogated, holding his Alter Lance at Depth Charge's throat.

"Like I'm gonna tell you that," Depth Charge sneered.

"Is Ruby heading into a trap?" Wrath questioned.

Depth Charge just glared at the phoenix Rider. "What does it matter? You're all dead, anyway."

* * *

Back at the Witch's Knoll, Ruby had gotten back just in time to see a terrible black mountainous structure, crafted from what looked like bones and living flesh. Each window, if indeed they could be called windows, looked like open mouths screaming in mortal terror, and horrible lights flashed within those windows.

"Master!" Ruby shouted, and ran inside, fearing for Yukata's life. _What have they done to our home?_

When she got far enough inside, she saw a wounded Yukata. "Ruby, my dear child, run . . ." Yukata pleaded weakly.

"That's as far as you go," a sinister voice called, and Ruby whirled to see a leather-jacketed man that looked exactly like Price. The only difference was the sinister light in this man's eyes.

"Strike? You did this?" Ruby accused.

"Not anymore," the Price lookalike replied with a smirk. "The old boy took back the deck after I got vented. But Xaviax hooked me up with something just as good." He held up a gray Advent Deck with a multi-headed snake symbol emblazoned on it before thrusting it out to form the Advent Belt. "Kamen Rider."

"Xaviax . . . betrayed us . . ." Ruby muttered.

"That would imply I was ever on your side to begin with," Xaviax commented, stepping out of the shadows with a smirk as the Price lookalike transformed into a Kamen Rider that looked quite similar to Strike.

There were a few key differences, though, such as that his shoulder guards resembled the heads of a snake, and the armor covering his torso looked like the open mouth of a snake. His helmet definitely resembled Strike's, being modeled after a snake's head also, and his Visor was a scepter similar to Strike's. Most significantly, though, the colors of his armor were black and gunmetal gray instead of black and violet.

"The name's Strife," the darker counterpart to Kamen Rider Strike explained. "Kamen Rider Strife."

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, thrusting out her Advent Deck to call forth her Advent Belt.

"Let's just say we had our own plans when we joined up with you guys," Strife replied, cracking the joints in his neck ominously.

"Humans may be terrible creatures, but they're also useful," Xaviax continued. "So we'll still torch the city, but the chaos will merely be a useful cover for me to take them all for myself and put them to work rebuilding my world."

"You bastard!" Ruby screamed. "KAMEN RIDER!"

Transforming into Kamen Rider Noir, Ruby drew her Visor rapier and attacked Kamen Rider Strife, who responded by slotting an Advent Card into his Visor scepter. With a call of _"SWORD VENT,"_ a black blade resembling a snake's fang with a golden hilt fell into Strife's hand and he slashed Noir with it. Noir rolled to her feet and slotted an Advent Card into her Visor rapier, calling her dual-bladed lance to wield against Strife.

Strife smirked beneath his helmet. "Bring it on, girlie."

As Noir charged Strife, Xaviax began to speak. "Do you want to know how your parents really died, Ruby?"

"Shut up!" Noir screamed, slashing Strife.

"That car was sabotaged by your dear Lady Yukata," Xaviax continued on with a cruel smirk. "Even if that human hadn't been drunk, your parents would have died, anyway. She would have made sure of it. That was how badly she wanted you on her side. She was already convinced humans were evil, and if she had to set up a situation to make sure you believed it yourself, why not? Not like it wasn't true, anyway, right?"

"LIAR!" Yukata screamed. "Don't listen to him, Ruby!"

"Master!" Noir shouted, attempting to run to Yukata only to be slashed in the back by Strife's black blade. She turned to face her attacker and slashed him in return, only for him to block it with his own blade.

"She ain't long for this world, sweetheart," Strife mocked. "Why don't you get the mourning out of the way and then we can keep fighting? Or better yet, why don't you join her?"

_ATTACK VENT._

An eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent slithered out of the shadows, coiling around Strife, who just chuckled amusedly. "Like this baby? I believe Japanese lore had a name for a creature just like this. The Orochi, right?"

_FINAL VENT._

_FINAL VENT._

Noir's raven Advent Beast swooped down to grasp Noir in its talons and flew high with her. Strife's eight-forked serpent Advent Beast grabbed his arms, shoulders, sides, and legs in each of its mouths while its body coiled like a spring. The biomechanical raven dropped Noir at the peak of its flight for a drop kick, while the serpent's eight heads threw Strife at Noir, Strife's body twisting for a flying side kick. The two Rider Kicks collided viciously midway, creating an intense explosion that knocked both Riders down.

Strife slowly got to his feet, while Noir was struggling to her feet. "What . . . what is this feeling?" Noir asked. "Why do I feel so . . . ?"

"Take it from someone who's been there before," Strife answered. "You're taking a trip to the Advent Void."

"Ruby . . ." Yukata moaned despairingly.

"Master!" Noir cried out, running desperately toward Lady Yukata even while she slowly disappeared in sparkling light. She'd barely reached her master when she faded away for good, just before their hands touched.

"_No!_" Yukata screamed.

* * *

That was when Adam crashed in on his motorcycle, with the girls following on the bus. Kit, Len, Kase, Trent, and Chris followed them, the latter two on motorcycles customized after the playing card motifs of their respective Rider forms. Strife and Xaviax turned to see the intruders, looking completely unconcerned.

"Well, if it isn't the big damn heroes!" Xaviax mocked. "Such a shame you didn't make it in time to save poor Ruby. I guess humans aren't that good at keeping their friends alive, after all."

Adam saw the Noir Advent Deck, lying forlornly on the ground. "You son of a bitch!"

"Ruby!" Yukari cried, running off the bus in horror. "What happened to her?"

"_I_ happened," Strife replied.

The girls looked at Strife with horrified expressions. "How . . . how could you?" Moka asked.

"That's not Price, Moka," Kit replied with cold anger in his voice.

"JTC!" Trent snapped, throwing off his motorcycle helmet.

Strife smirked beneath his helmet. "I guess they'll let anyone be a Kamen Rider these days, huh, Trent?" He turned to Chris. "And if it isn't the boy who's all heart and no lungs. Oh, wait, Eubulon healed you, didn't he? Got you all fixed up so you could live your dream."

"You sound jealous," Chris mocked, taking off his motorcycle helmet.

"Of course I am," Strife admitted sardonically. "You got your life back. I got stuck in a prison cell again. All the reason I need to take all of you down."

"You're going to pay for what you did to Ruby!" Adam yelled, getting off his motorcycle along with the other Riders.

Trent and Chris slotted their _CHANGE_ Rouse Cards into their Rouse Buckles before placing the buckles at their waists to form their belts. Adam, Len, Kase, and Kit thrust out their Advent Decks, forming their Advent Belts. Kurumu's wings ripped out of her back, while Mizore's hands iced over and formed claws.

"Kamen Rider!" the six Riders shouted, the Ventaran Riders slotting their Advent Decks into their buckles and Trent and Chris pulling a switch on their Rouse Buckles.

_TURN UP._

Red, blue, white, and black energy spheres enveloped Kit, Len, Kase, and Adam while giant blue energy platforms framed Trent and Chris. Inside the energy spheres, twin rings folded over the Ventaran Riders to form their armors, while the blue energy platforms collided with Trent and Chris to complete their Rider transformations.

As Kamen Rider Dime Trigger, Chris's Rider armor resembled Trent's Knight Saber a great deal. One significant difference, other than Chris's armor being red while Trent's was blue, was that Chris's chest armor had a diamond symbol. Another was that his helmet was styled after a stag beetle as opposed to the rhino beetle that served as the inspiration for Trent's helmet. Like Trent's armor, though, the helmet's styling was also designed to evoke the card suit that was his armor's theme.

"I guess you're living your dream after all, Christopher," Xaviax remarked conversationally. "Being a hero, fighting evil aliens and other threats to humanity, getting your dad's respect at long last . . . must be a thrill a minute, right?"

"I've got nothing to say to you," Dime Trigger snapped, pointing his Trigger Rouser at Xaviax. "You tried to trick me into helping you destroy everything I cared about!"

"Well, that's one way of interpreting it," Xaviax answered coolly. "Another interpretation is that I gave you a way to make your dreams come true, and if I needed a little something in return . . . small price to pay, right?"

"Shut it!" Dime Trigger snapped, firing the Trigger Rouser at Xaviax, only for Strife to block the blasts with his sword.

"Come on, man, why so angry?" Strife asked. "You got everything you wanted!"

"I'm angry because people like you who don't think other people are worth anything except being used up and thrown away exist," Dime Trigger replied coldly.

The call of _"SWORD VENT"_ came four times, signaling that Kit and Adam had summoned their Drag Sabers, and Len and Kase had summoned their Wing Lancers. Trent drew his Rouser blade, ready to fight alongside his comrades.

Yukata chuckled, a sad, bitter sound that gradually increased in pitch and madness. "So stupid . . . trusting someone like you . . . and with Ruby gone, there's no more point to any of this . . . no point besides killing you all, anyway."

"You still wanna talk about revenge?" Adam asked. "You know what Xaviax is now! You learned the same way I learned! You should join us in fighting him, making sure that he pays for what he did to Ruby and what he tried to use you for!"

Yukata sneered. "As much as I hate Xaviax, it was a _human_ that took my Ruby, _humans_ that Xaviax recruited to use against their own kind because he knows exactly what I know – that you're a selfish, filthy race that pollutes everything you touch." She turned to Yukari. "I'll give you one more chance, little one. Join me. You bonded with Ruby quite well, I can tell, so I'm sure you want them dead just as much as I do."

"It's JTC I hate for what he did to Ruby!" Yukari snapped. "Not Adam! Not the real Kamen Riders! And I'm not going to help you destroy an entire city of innocent people!"

"Innocent?" Xaviax repeated. "Them? No such thing, little girl – just differing degrees of guilt."

"You think that justifies taking our entire world as your slaves and trying to do the same to Earth?" Len asked angrily. "You monster."

"Enough talking!" Yukata shouted, as a giant monstrosity rose from the sunflower patch. "See this? I've been growing this for quite a while now, nurturing it on the blood of all those filthy humans who trespassed on my territory. I guess now's as good a time as any to field-test its combat abilities. I think I'll start with the one that took my Ruby!"

The flower monster lunged at Strife, who merely slashed at it with his sword. "Dream on, granny. You're gonna need more than this to take me out."

"You're not going to stop with him, are you?" Mizore asked grimly. "After that thing's done with those two, you'll turn it on us . . . and then on that city. Where will your foolishness end?"

"What Mizore's trying to say is that what you're doing isn't going to solve anything!" Adam protested. "You'll only start a war that'll cost too many lives on all sides, and what good will it do when _everyone's_ suffering? Don't let Ruby's venting be in vain. You can stop this!"

"Vermin like you have no right to speak her name!" Yukata screamed, attacking Adam with vines growing from her fingers, only for Mizore and Kurumu to slice the vines with their claws to protect him.

"It's pointless, Adam," Kase said, brandishing her naginata. "Some people won't learn unless you beat it into them."

"If that's what it comes down to . . ." Adam muttered grimly.

". . . then that's what it comes down to," Kit finished for him.

"Don't forget, you've got _me_ to deal with!" JTC shouted, killing the flower monster with his sword and charging the other Kamen Riders.

"Enough!" Yukata shouted, her magical power rising with her fury and creating a terrifying aura around her. "I'll wipe you all out myself – you and your damned city!"

Next: Ride to Survive

* * *

End Notes: There you have it; this arc is heading for a climactic finish! Is Ruby gone forever? Will Yukata succeed in killing the Riders and waging all-out war on the human race? Will Hunt's remaining anger toward Adam's betrayal of Ventara cause problems in the future? Who is Kamen Rider Depth Charge, and what's the story behind JTC's return? For the answers to these questions and others, read on!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"And now it's time for another edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced. "I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much smarter co-host, Yukari Sendo!" Yukari introduced herself.

"Brat!" Kurumu yelled.

"What? You know it's true," Yukari answered. "But never mind that now. Today, we are here to discuss a true hero – Kamen Rider Sting!" Clicking a button, the screen behind Yukari and Kurumu came to life, featuring the image of Kamen Rider Sting.

"Is he like some kind of manta ray?" Kurumu asked.

"That's his Advent Beast, yeah," Yukari replied. "It's called Evildiver, but Sting is the farthest thing from evil there is!"

"Sounds like someone has a crush . . ." Kurumu teased.

"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked. "There's no way I'm letting Adam fall into the clutches of someone like you!"

"Why, you . . ." Kurumu lunged at Yukari, only for Yukari to sidestep her.

"Anyway, don't mind all that magenta, boys!" Yukari replied, pointing to Kamen Rider Sting. "Real men can wear colors like that!" She took the pointer and aimed it at his left-hand gauntlet. "This is his Evil Visor, which he uses to slot his Advent Cards. His chief weapon is the Evil Whip!" She switched the pointer to the coiled whip, resembling a manta ray's tail, in Sting's hand. "And imagine the other uses for it!"

"I'm not some kind of pain slut like Ruby!" Kurumu shouted.

Yukari giggled. "And just who are you calling slutty with the way you shove your tits at Adam?"

Kurumu growled angrily.

"Of course, there's always his Copy Vent for the event in which his own weapons aren't enough," Yukari went on. "He can just copy his opponent's weapon and use it against him! See?"

The screen shifted to show two uses of Copy Vent. One was from Sting's fight with Wing Knight, during which he'd duplicated Wing Knight's lance. The other was from Sting's team-up with Dragon Knight, where Sting had copied Dragon Knight's Drag Claw.

"That's pretty cool," Kurumu admitted.

"And with his Final Vent, Sting can ride Evildiver into the enemy's face!" Yukari added. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"I'll say," Kurumu agreed. Then she switched to her announcer's voice. "Well, that's all there is for now! Tune in next time for when we take on Kamen Rider Axe! Until then, I'm Kurumu Kurono, she's Yukari Sendo, and this is _**Rider Fashion Check!**_"

"Bye-bye!" Yukari shouted.


	20. Ride to Survive

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 20: "Ride to Survive"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, Ishinomori Productions, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, VIZ Media, and Shonen Jump. I make no money whatsoever from this story and I am only doing this for fun.

Author's note: Special thanks to Brave Kid for always being there even when I haven't been the most appreciative, and to the Kamen Rider writers on FF – especially Kamen Rider Chrome – for being the inspirations that they are. Now that that's out of the way, we can get to the nitty-gritty.

Ruby has been vented. JTC is once again working for Xaviax and with new Rider powers to compensate for Price regaining the Strike Deck. The Kamen Riders of Earth and Ventara are ready to face off against Xaviax and his Dark Riders, but what about Ruby's vengeful master seeking to kill them all, and with them, the human race? What powers will be invoked to fight these powerful foes and at what cost will victory come? For the answers to these questions and others, let's ride!

* * *

Hunt, Chase, Quinn, Ian, Van, and Cam – a.k.a. Kamen Riders Axe, Spear, Sting, Incisor, Camo, and Thrust – charged down to the Witch's Knoll on their motorcycles. As they got closer, they saw their path walled up by giant beasts rising out of the sunflower patch for which the ranch was famous.

"What the hell?" Chase uttered.

Hunt stopped his motorcycle, the others stopping along with him. "Must be the welcoming committee," he growled, pulling out his royal blue Advent Deck, marked with the symbol of the tiger.

"Whatever," Van said. "We'll deal with them, and then we'll get in and help the others until Price, Chance, Nolan, and Eubulon show up."

"Let's do this," Cam snapped, pulling out his own Advent Deck, marked with the symbol of the rhino. The other four Kamen Riders followed suit, and all six thrust their decks out before the monsters once hidden within the sunflower patch.

"Kamen Rider!"

Blue, bronze, magenta, orange, lime green, and silver energy spheres formed around the six Kamen Riders, protecting them from the monsters' attacks while their armors self-assembled over their bodies.

Kamen Rider Axe's armor resembled a white tiger with blue highlights and his Visor was a literal axe. Kamen Rider Spear's armor was colored brown and black, resembling a gazelle, and his Visor was mounted on his knee. Kamen Rider Sting wore magenta armor styled after a manta ray, and his Visor was an arm-mounted shield resembling a manta ray.

Kamen Rider Incisor wore orange armor that made him resemble a crab, and his Visor resembled a pair of shears on his arm. Kamen Rider Camo very much resembled a chameleon in his lime green armor, and his Visor was even modeled after a chameleon. Kamen Rider Thrust was heavily armored and colored silver, with a rhino horn protruding from the Visor mounted on his left shoulder and another rhino horn extending from his helmet.

_STRIKE VENT._

With that call, Kamen Rider Thrust summoned the Metal Horn, Kamen Rider Axe summoned the Dest Claws, Kamen Rider Incisor summoned the Cancer Pincer. The three Riders brandished their weapons, ready to use them on the plant beasts.

_SPIN VENT._

Kamen Rider Spear summoned the Gazelle Stab, a two-pronged gauntlet weapon resembling a pair of gazelle's antlers.

_SWING VENT._

Kamen Rider Sting summoned his Evil Whip.

Kamen Rider Thrust impaled a plant monster on his Metal Horn, while Kamen Rider Axe slashed viciously at the monsters surrounding him with his Dest Claws. Kamen Rider Incisor attacked the plant monsters with his Cancer Pincer, while Kamen Rider Spear began throwing punches at the monsters with the arm that bore his Gazelle Stab.

_CLEAR VENT._

Kamen Rider Camo turned invisible, anticipating that he would be able to use his stealth to defeat the plant monsters with ease. He'd figured wrong, though, as the creatures had his scent and simply followed that, much to Camo's surprise as he was knocked back into visibility.

_HOLD VENT._

Camo summoned his Bio-Winder and lashed it out to entrap several plant monsters before swinging them around brutally. Beside him, Sting lashed the plant monsters with his whip, but for all the ones the six Riders defeated, more kept coming. "Damn it, don't these guys die?" Camo snapped.

"Not unless you make them," Sting answered.

"Then that's what we do," Spear remarked glibly.

_FINAL VENT._

Spear's horde of Zelles stampeded in to brutally attack the plant monsters, managing to down several before Spear himself made the final strike with a flying knee to the head of a monster. Evildiver flew in and Sting jumped on its back, riding it through a small horde of the beasts. Metalgelas rampaged onto the scene, boosting Thrust onto its shoulders while Thrust had his Metal Horn equipped and pushing him into a fast charge through the plant beasts.

Biogreeza, a humanoid chameleon beast, wrapped its tongue around Camo's legs and swung him at the plant monsters, one of which Camo snatched upon his release and slammed headfirst into the ground. Destwilder, a humanoid white tiger, snatched up another plant monster and dragged it along the ground right within range of Axe's Dest Claws, which Axe violently impaled the creature on. Volcancer, a humanoid crab beast, used his claws as a platform off which Incisor launched a spinning attack that blasted through a number of plant creatures.

"That should do it," Incisor commented. "Now let's get in there and help them."

"I thought we were helping them just fine out here," Axe grumbled.

"You're still pissed at Adam for running off?" Spear asked. "Goddamn it, Hunt, that boy is obviously screwed up in the head, but even if he wasn't in the picture, Kit, Kase, and Len still need us. So get over it."

* * *

Inside Xaviax's base, Kamen Rider Strife was fighting Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, Siren, Onyx, Knight Saber, and Dime Trigger on his own – while Yukata tried to kill them all with the horde of plant monsters she'd kept inside. "So, you're Adam, right?" Strife asked Onyx in a conversational tone. "First guy to take Xaviax's deal? Did it for a woman?"

"That's in the past," Onyx snapped as he slashed at Strife with his Drag Saber, which Strife blocked with his Serph Saber.

"Really?" Strife asked. "Because I learned a long time ago, being a good guy doesn't get you crap in this world or the other."

"And being a snake that uses and betrays people is better?" Onyx retorted.

"Hey, at least I'm not the one getting stepped on," Strife shot back offhandedly. "And don't talk like you're any better."

"Hey, jerk!" Kurumu shouted. "Take this!" She flew up to him and slashed him with her claws.

"So the claws come out," Strife remarked nonchalantly, despite the fact that her claws would have sliced him apart if not for his armor. "No wonder Adam digs on you so much." At that moment, Mizore hurled ice kunai at Strife, but the Orochi-based Kamen Rider blocked them with the Serph Sword. "And the other woman. My, oh, my . . . for a guy who betrayed his comrades and his world for a woman, you've moved on nicely."

"Adam isn't like that," Moka protested.

"Yeah!" Yukari agreed, flinging her tarot cards at Strife. "A snake like you wouldn't know anything about the love we share!"

Strife just laughed as he dodged the tarot cards, letting them slice the plant monsters instead. "Didn't know you liked them young, Adam!"

"Shut up," Dime Trigger snapped.

_BULLET – RAPID – FIRE – Burning Shot!_

A barrage of fiery bullets rained down upon Strife from Dime Trigger's Rouser gun, only for Strife to just charge through the bullets to attack him. Fortunately for Dime Trigger, Knight Saber interrupted Strife's attack with his Rouser blade.

_SLASH – THUNDER – MACH – Lightning Burst!_

In a series of high-speed lightning-powered slashes, Knight Saber managed to strike down Strife. "You're gonna have to do better than that," Strife taunted, slowly rising to his feet.

"I intend to," Knight Saber snarled. "Hell, I'm just getting started; after what you did to Maya, I'm gonna enjoy wrecking you."

"Unrequited love . . . it's a bitch, right?" Strife remarked, slashing at Knight Saber. "And the guy she took up with is a perfect double of me, so I guess she still likes me better!" He accented the last word with a vicious kick to the chest that forced Knight Saber back.

"You bastard . . ." Knight Saber snarled.

_FIRE – UPPER – Burning Blow!_

Dime Trigger charged up to Strife and delivered a vicious literally burning uppercut that sent him crashing into a wall. "Holy crap, can you throw a punch or what?" Strife remarked, dusting himself off. "Excellent sneak attack!"

Dime Trigger just drew his Trigger Rouser and resumed firing on Strife, walking toward him as he shot at the Dark Kamen Rider. Strife just blocked the blasts with his sword, only for Dime Trigger to get close enough to punch Strife in his masked face. Strife staggered back a bit, and Dime Trigger went in for the kill with a knee to the stomach. To his surprise, Strife trapped Dime Trigger's leg and viciously slammed him to the ground.

"The old fake-out maneuver," the Orochi-themed Rider remarked. "Never gets old." He locked eyes with Moka. "And you must be the first girl to get roped into Adam's little harem. Sweet girl, aren't you? Too bad that's not gonna keep you alive!" He rushed at Moka for a killing strike, only to be blocked by Wing Knight.

"You're the lowest of the low, JTC," the bat-themed Rider snarled before fading out of existence as two more Wing Knights kicked Strife in the chest.

"Thanks, Len," Onyx said.

"Be more careful of your surroundings, Adam," Wing Knight advised.

"Adam, you've gotta pull off my rosary!" Moka shouted. "It's the only way I can help you!"

"On it!" Onyx shouted, cutting a vicious swath through the plant monsters to reach Moka.

"We'll back you up!" Dragon Knight shouted.

_STRIKE VENT._

A blast of flame from Dragredder burned through the plant creatures that would have continued blocking Onyx's path. Just as he was close enough to reach Moka's rosary, Strife kicked Onyx's arm with enough force to almost dislocate it, knocking him to the ground. "Sorry, kiddo, but there's no way I'm letting your girl's inner super-bitch come out and kick my ass."

"Don't call her that!" Onyx snapped, attacking Strife with the ferocity of a wounded animal. Unfortunately, Strife blocked Onyx's strikes and retaliated with vicious blows of his own.

"You're supposed to be one of the original Ventaran Riders, right?" Strife commented. "You must have been the runt of the bunch, way you fight and all." He accented his mocking remark with a brutal kick to the chest.

"Moka, Yukari, get out of the way!" Onyx shouted.

_STRIKE VENT._

Moka and Yukari got out of the way just in time to avoid being roasted by Dragblacker's dark flames like Strife ended up. "How's that for 'runt of the bunch'?" Onyx asked sourly.

* * *

Outside Xaviax's complex, even more and even bigger plant monsters had emerged to challenge the six Riders there. Fortunately, Kamen Riders Strike, Torque, and Wrath arrived on the scene riding motorcycles that had transformed with them. Strike's bike resembled a "stripped" motorcycle with some bells and whistles inspired by his armor's cobra motif. Torque's bike was large and heavily armored, similar to the Advent Beast he was partnered with. The chassis of Wrath's bike vaguely resembled the body of a phoenix, albeit with the "wings" folded.

"Need a hand?" Wrath asked as he got off his motorcycle, Strike and Torque following him.

"Where's Master Eubulon?" Thrust inquired.

"Rescuing someone from the Advent Void so that hopefully they can reason with the witch inside," Wrath answered.

"In the meantime, how about we work these little bastards?" Torque suggested. "Or, better yet . . . you just step out of the way and leave it to me?"

_FINAL VENT._

A heavily armored giant green mechanical minotaur emerged from a portal in the ground and Torque walked up behind the Advent Beast before plugging his Visor gun into its back. Torque smirked beneath his helmet as Magnugiga revealed an uncanny amount of turrets for guns, missiles, and lasers, all aimed at the plant monsters about to attack him. Knowing what was going to happen, the other Riders got out of the way.

"Bye-bye," Torque said, and pulled the trigger, unleashing an ungodly barrage of bullets, lasers, and missiles upon the plant monsters that didn't let up until there was nothing but ashes and smoke where they'd once been.

"You just annihilated a beautiful sunflower patch along with those monsters," Strike commented sourly. "I hope you're aware of that."

"Well, excuse me for wanting to save our asses," Torque sniped.

"He did what he had to," Sting said. "It's time we gave the others a hand."

Strike, Torque, and Wrath got on their motorcycles, as did the other six Kamen Riders, whose bikes transformed as well, now stylistically resembling their Advent Beasts and armor motifs. "Let's go," Wrath ordered, and the nine Riders revved up their bikes, preparing to charge into the fray.

* * *

Inside Xaviax's complex, Yukata watched Kurumu and Mizore fight through her plant monsters to reach Kamen Rider Strife. "Unthinkable . . . they're ayashi . . . and yet they fight on the side of humans!"

Kurumu and Mizore did a dual slash on Strife. "I won't forgive you for hurting Adam like that!" Kurumu declared.

"Neither will I," Mizore added, spearing Strife in the chest with an ice blade. Unfortunately for her, the armor managed to hold out against the spear.

"Not bad," Strife remarked. "Unfortunately, not good enough!" He accented the "not good enough" with a brutal slash of his sword that an icy armor barely managed to stop in time. It did, however, leave an unsightly tear through Mizore's clothes.

"Mizore!" Kurumu shouted, prompting Moka, Yukari, and Onyx to turn – Onyx not yet having removed Moka's rosary – and see the state Mizore was in.

"I'm fine," she answered tonelessly. "It's only a scratch."

As it turned out, even a scratch was enough to get Onyx furious, as he attacked Strife with a brutality Kit, Len, and Kase had never seen in him before. Strife attempted to soldier on through Onyx's assaults, but Onyx was powering through his defenses with the kind of violence that would impress Inner Moka.

"Adam, stop!" Wing Knight shouted.

Onyx did stop, with a brutal slash of his Drag Saber that felled Strife. To his horror, he heard the very familiar sound of a slow clap, and he whirled to find himself faced with Xaviax, still in his human form. "You . . ."

"Excellent job, Adam," Xaviax remarked with a cruel smirk. "I see that you haven't let yourself get softened by love. Not like before . . ." He turned to the other Kamen Riders and the Newspaper Club girls. "You're all quite impressive. I see you've been improving in my absence."

Yukata snarled. "You still don't get it . . . you stupid girls . . . why side with those humans?" She'd managed to fight her way to her feet and was now grasping a large, hardback book, a book that she opened to a certain page and began to read from. "I'll show you . . . I'll show you what they really are!"

The next thing the Riders and the girls knew, they were in a dump surrounded by all kinds of trash and other junk no one wanted or needed anymore. "This is what the humans want to create out of my ranch!" Yukata declared furiously. "A dumpsite for all their worthless waste!"

With the exceptions of JTC and Xaviax, everyone was clearly shocked by what they saw. Xaviax, however, just had an unpleasant smirk on his face, as though this was exactly what he'd expected. "That's humans for you. Always dumping their crap on other people's lawns."

"It's been over a hundred years since I was born," Yukata whispered sadly. "This place may not look like much to you now, it may be a monstrous shell of its former self, but it used to be a great place for witches to take refuge from the humans that persecuted us. I had friends, family . . . people who were my closest of kindred, even if not in blood. Then the humans came, cutting down our trees, paving over our lands to expand their horrid cities! We tried to fight them, oh we did, but they had numbers . . . and guns. It takes time to cast a spell, but very little to point and shoot! And after all that, they still want to take more!"

Dragon Knight, Knight Saber, and Dime Trigger were all downcast, unable to meet Yukata's furious and pained eyes. This had been their city, for better or worse, before the Kamen Riders had changed their lives forever. It was Dragon Knight, however, who spoke up first after looking around the trash site that was the intended future of the Witch's Knoll.

"I'm sorry . . ." he whispered. "We've been cruel, haven't we? Just marching wherever, taking whatever no matter who or what got in the way . . . it's no way to act." He glared at Xaviax. "For anybody."

"Oh, please!" Xaviax scoffed. "That's just what you humans do!"

"Like you're any better!" Onyx accused. "Eubulon told us about the history of Karsh! You all rampaged and murdered your way across your planet until it was just as much of a waste dump as this!" He gestured to the illusion of the trash site.

Xaviax laughed. "Yeah, you have me there. But you shouldn't be getting on any kind of high horse. Not with me. Not when I know _exactly_ what you are."

"It's sad, isn't it?" Kamen Rider Wrath remarked, entering the illusion along with the other Ventaran Riders. "We fear monsters, and so we kill them – only the monsters we kill fear us as much as we humans fear them, and so they kill us. It's a vicious cycle, but it's one that we can _end!_ All of us, together – if we're willing to put our differences aside and fight the real monsters, the ones that would destroy this world that we all live in with no regret whatsoever."

"When you say 'real monsters,' you mean me, right?" Xaviax joked.

"You think this hollow gesture is going to make any difference in what I'll do to this city?" Yukata sneered. "Still so arrogant, you pathetic humans!"

"He's right," Siren agreed. "We don't have to live like this, Master Yukata, constantly at each other's throats because of what we are." She respectfully bowed, and the other Riders followed her lead, with the exception of the indisposed Strife.

"Please . . ." Onyx pleaded from his bowed position. "We'll do whatever it takes to make this right."

_Whatever it takes, hmm?_ Yukata thought sinisterly, just before vines lashed out from her robes and yanked Moka away from Onyx, pulling the pink-haired beauty over to the aged witch.

"_Moka!_" Onyx cried out.

"What are you doing?" Wing Knight asked, startled by this sudden betrayal. "We just said that we were willing to do whatever it took to save your home!"

"Yes, but the only way I'll believe you is if you're ready to sacrifice something as valuable to you as my kin were to me," Yukata replied with a cruel leer. "It was you Riders whose involvement cost me my Ruby . . . so it's only fair that you watch as someone important to one of you dies!"

"Ruby isn't dead!" Onyx yelled. "As a Rider, she can be saved from the Advent Void, just like all the Riders that were vented in Xaviax's attack on Earth and Ventara! You don't have to do this!"

Xaviax just clapped, as though this were all good entertainment. "Excellent show! I'm glad someone here knows how the game is played! You see, kiddies, you win wars by exacting too heavy a price from the other side for them to keep fighting, and that doesn't always require superior force.

"Just look at Adam! I won by taking Eubulon away from you so that you'd all have to give up your lives to keep Ventara protected, and that turned out to be too big a price for him, so he gave me you all on a platter! And now look . . . he's getting ready to do it again. Guess I can take back what I said before about love not softening him up this time!"

_STRIKE VENT._

The twin dragons Dragredder and Dragblacker coiled around each other as Dragon Knight and Onyx directed them to unleash their flames upon Xaviax. "You shut your mouth," Onyx snarled as black and orange flames struck down Xaviax. When they faded, though, they revealed that Xaviax had shifted to his true form, modeled after the battle armor he'd donned in their last confrontation in his base. Worse, he was laughing, the mocking sound all the more terrifying for its inhuman deepness.

"It's ok, Adam . . ." Moka called out. "No matter what happens from here, it's better that we live together! Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, even Ruby, and I learned all that from being with you! You . . . you gave us hope . . . and so, I believe in you, and your friends, the Kamen Riders."

"Hmm, I thought I had someone who valued their life more . . . but it seems you really want to sacrifice yourself for my cause," Yukata leered. "Oh, well. So be it!"

"_No!_" Onyx yelled, and charged at Yukata to save Moka.

"See this?" Yukata yelled, gesturing to the charging Onyx. "This is why you humans are so untrustworthy! Always willing to break a deal if the terms don't suit you!"

"Exactly!" Xaviax crowed. "He's the worst of them! I gave him what he wanted, a chance to live his life in peace with that girl he claimed to love so much, but as soon as it got too hard for him, he went and betrayed me for his old friends . . . who probably don't all want him back, anyway! What a fool!"

Axe attacked Xaviax with his Dest Visor. "You can just shut it!"

"Hunt, wait!" Spear shouted. "We've gotta help Adam!"

Indeed, Kamen Rider Onyx had been surrounded by even more plant monsters, which were now closing in to try to chew through his armor to get to his more vulnerable flesh. Onyx attempted to fight them off with his Drag Saber when not using his Drag Shield to hold them off, but there were so many. . . .

_BULLET – RAPID – FIRE – Burning Shot!_

Dime Trigger began shooting into the horde of plant monsters with a rain of bullets engulfed in flames, clearing away their numbers. Beside him, Torque was firing his Magna Visor into the plant monsters, clearing away even more of their numbers. Axe, who had just been repelled by Xaviax, rushed into the fray, slashing through the plant monsters to clear the way for Onyx. Wrath was flashing in and out around the monsters, taking advantage of his speed to dispose of the creatures in his path.

_LAUNCH VENT._

_COPY VENT._

Two pairs of Giga Cannons attached themselves to Torque's and Sting's shoulders. "Adam, get out of the way!" Sting warned.

"You, too, Hunt!" Torque shouted.

Onyx and Axe dodged just in time to avoid being a victim of the detonating grenades Torque and Sting had launched at the plant monsters. Rising to their feet, they managed to spare a look at each other. "Thanks, Hunt. I owe you," Onyx said.

"I'll add it to your tab," Axe replied darkly. "Get your girl out of there."

"Lady Yukata, please stop this!" a very familiar voice cut in as Onyx reached Moka and Yukata. A motorcycle ridden by two darkly clad figures in helmets, the one on the back having a far more feminine figure, entered the scene of the confrontation. The biker on back got off and divested herself of her helmet to reveal herself to Yukata.

". . . Ruby?" Yukata called out, shocked. "Is that . . . really you?"

"Yes, Lady Yukata, it's me!" Ruby shouted. "You can't . . . you can't do this! Adam was nothing but kind to me! His friends were kind to me, too, even after I tried to kill them! These humans, at least, are good people – and they shouldn't suffer like this!"

"She's right," Onyx stated firmly. His tone softened immediately, though. "Ruby . . . has been through so much pain. So have you. I can understand that, and neither of you deserved what happened to you. The pain is still there, I get it – but there's no reason for you to take it out on the entire world!"

"Adam's right," Eubulon pleaded, taking off his helmet to reveal himself. "If you wish to claim witches are superior to humans in every way, then be superior in the one way that counts for something. Don't choose revenge over the possibility of a better future."

In the brief span of time Eubulon and Ruby had held Yukata's attention, Onyx snatched Moka's rosary off her choker. Immediately, her demonic aura engulfed the entire desolate field around them, shocking those who had not been exposed to it before.

_It's taking everything I have . . . just to stand right now . . ._ Wing Knight thought, gritting his teeth beneath his helmet as Siren gripped his hand to provide moral support.

As Inner Moka revealed herself, Yukata glared at her. "So, that pitiful human has made himself a harem of ayashi women. You all disgust me."

When Yukata attempted to attack her, Inner Moka kicked the old witch with sufficient force to send her flying to the ground. "Too bad for you, I'm just as disgusted with you. You have no honor. You're just an angry old bat obsessed with revenge to the point that you spat in the faces of people who – foolish as they are – approached you in the spirit of kinship, but you don't want that anymore, do you? No, now blood is the only thing that'll satisfy that yawning chasm that used to be your heart."

Yukata just rose to her feet, her lip busted but that in no way lessening the steely fury on her face. "You shouldn't take me so lightly, little girl," she warned as she brandished her book once again, an eldritch aura rising around her. That aura revived the hordes of her plant monsters that had been killed by the Kamen Riders, as the creatures now began to engulf and consume her.

"Master, don't do it!" Ruby pleaded frantically, tears in her eyes.

"I've lived a hundred years . . ." Yukata snarled. "You little whelps are nothing to me, and I'll teach you to be sorry for making me serious."

Kamen Rider Strife slowly got up, roused by the hellish aura. "That's not good . . ." he murmured to himself.

"There's no going back now," Yukata declared as she transformed. "These heathens have to die. I'll wipe them out to the last one!"

* * *

When the transformation finished, a horrific, gargantuan plant beast stood in Yukata's place, towering over the Riders, the girls, and Xaviax. The creature's central maw opened, revealing that Yukata had symbiotically fused with the monstrosity's innards via her book of spells. She smirked nastily at them.

"From here, you all look like insects . . ." she taunted. "What are you going to do now, Kamen Riders? Your powers are a joke compared to mine! Fight me if you dare! I'll cleanse this world of you and your kind!"

"Time to go big," Kamen Rider Dragon Knight said, pulling a card out of his Advent Deck. He turned it to reveal the Survive Blaze Advent Card, which red background began to radiate heat that ignited into actual flame surrounding him. Beside him, Kamen Rider Wing Knight drew his Survive Gale Advent Card, its blue background shimmering with an aura that engulfed him as actual wind.

"Stop!" Ruby pleaded tearfully. "All of you, please! Stop! Lady Yukata, we don't have to do this!"

"We have no choice, Ruby," Kamen Rider Onyx murmured as he drew the Survive Shadow Advent Card, marked by a pair of black wings spread on a purple background. Said purple background vibrated with such intense heat that it sparked into black flames that engulfed the dark dragon Rider. "It's her or this world . . ."

Axe looked at Eubulon with horror. "You gave him a Survive Mode card!" he accused.

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed.

Dragon Knight's, Wing Knight's, and Onyx's Visors transformed under the power of their Survive Mode cards. Dragon Knight and Onyx's Visors took the shape of dragon-styled guns identical in every way except color, Dragon Knight's being red and gold and Onyx's being black and silver. Wing Knight's Visor transformed from a rapier to a sword with a royal blue-and-gold bat-shaped shield as its scabbard.

_SURVIVE MODE._

The three Riders' armors transformed, Dragon Knight's turning mostly black with red torso armor modeled after the head of a dragon and red bracers and boots with gold accents. His Advent Deck turned red while retaining its gold dragon crest and his helmet took on more prominent gold accents with twin antennae resembling a dragon's whiskers rising from the top of his visor. Onyx's new armor was much the same as Dragon Knight's, but still mostly black with silver and gold accents, and his Advent Deck had turned silver while the dragon crest remained black.

Wing Knight's armor had turned mostly black, while his bat-modeled chest armor turned royal blue with gold highlights and a black cape hung from his shoulders. His helmet also developed gold highlights, his gauntlets and boots turned gold-accented royal blue, and his Advent Deck had turned royal blue while retaining the gold bat crest.

As Ruby summoned six giant raven wings in an attempt to get closer to her master so she could reason with her, Inner Moka and the Survive Mode Kamen Riders blocked her. "Stay back," Inner Moka said.

Yukari, Kurumu, and Mizore gazed at the Survive Mode Kamen Riders, astonished at the level of sheer power they were giving off. "He's . . ." Kurumu uttered, too stunned to speak as she looked at Onyx.

Yukata laughed at Inner Moka and the Survive Mode Kamen Riders. "You really think you can beat me with some shiny new armor?"

"No more talking," Wing Knight whispered. "It's time to fight."

"You speak my language, Kamen Rider," Inner Moka responded appreciatively. She looked at Yukata. "Don't complain to me if you die."

"You arrogant little brats!" Yukata yelled. "I'll crush you all to bits!" She swung her plant creature's tentacles at Inner Moka and the Survive Mode Kamen Riders. The Riders drew their Sword Vents and slashed at the tentacles while Inner Moka attempted to dodge. One grazed her, but even that came with enough force to momentarily stun her.

"Moka!" Onyx screamed.

"Adam, wait!" Dragon Knight shouted, but Onyx had already called his Final Vent, which summoned and transformed Dragblacker into the more powerful Dragblazer. Onyx jumped onto Dragblazer's back and was now riding the mechanical black dragon toward the plant creature as Dragblazer spat black fireballs at it. Unfortunately, the plant creature had a pretty strong defense, as it was powered by Yukata's magic, which brutally swatted Onyx and Dragblazer aside.

Onyx landed in a crouch beside Inner Moka. "You ok?"

"I don't need you to try to defend my honor," Inner Moka answered as she straightened up. "But, yes, I'm fine."

"It's fascinating that you're still alive," Yukata remarked. "Oh. I get it now. Those red eyes . . . you're a vampire, aren't you, girl? A monster capable of channeling her aura into unimaginable strength, but the price is being feared by all, human or otherwise. So tempting . . . I'll absorb you and take your power for my own."

_SHOOT VENT._

Dragranzer and Dragblazer rose behind Dragon Knight and Onyx, who pointed their transformed Visors at Yukata's plant creature to aim their dragons' fire. Both dragons spat fireballs, Dragranzer's colored orange and Dragblazer's colored black, at the plant beast, eliciting a pained screech that fused with an all-too-human scream.

Inner Moka dashed past the twin dragon Riders and leaped into a series of vicious high kicks to Yukata herself, bypassing her monster completely. "Look out!" Wing Knight warned, as vines lunged out to grab Inner Moka by her arm and more vines came out to grab her other limbs.

"Barely more than a mosquito bite on the back of my neck," Yukata sneered.

"Damn it," Dragon Knight spat. "No wonder our attacks don't work; her body's more like molasses than any actual solid!"

"So cocky you all were," Yukata remarked. "'The bigger they are, the harder they fall,' right? In my case, I didn't just get bigger – I got _stronger!_ Allow me to demonstrate on this girl here!" The vines that had gripped Inner Moka pierced through her bare arms and legs and began to slither inside her.

"Moka!" Onyx shouted.

"You didn't know what this technique was?" Yukata asked. "I'll explain it to you briefly. It's a fusion technique, by which means I can merge with and absorb other creatures to add their strength to my own! When I'm done with you, little vampire, I'll take your Kamen Riders and fuse their strength with mine . . . and then I'll come for _you,_ Xaviax! Your strength will join mine as well!"

"How monstrous . . ." Eubulon murmured, drawing his Advent Key and thrusting it out to summon his Advent Belt before slotting the Key into the empty buckle. "Kamen Rider!" The buckle locked in around the Advent Key as the familiar energy sphere engulfed Eubulon, summoning the Zero Armor over his body. When the transformation finished, Kamen Rider Zero turned to the other Riders. "We have to stop her, before she takes all of Moka's power for her own and becomes even more dangerous." He held the Noir Advent Deck out to Ruby, who looked at it hesitantly.

"We need you right now, Ruby," Wrath pleaded. "If you love your master as much as we think you do, you have to help us stop her from doing something this horrible. Will you help us?"

Ruby took the Advent Deck and thrust it out. "I will." She summoned her Advent Belt and slotted the Noir Deck into its buckle. "Kamen Rider!"

As Ruby transformed, Kamen Rider Strife stood beside Xaviax. "What do you say we get out of here?" Xaviax offered. "We'll let the heroes deal with her."

"Good idea," Strife agreed.

"Coward," Strike muttered contemptuously of his doppelganger.

"They don't matter right now," Eubulon said. "What does matter is helping Moka."

"More! _More! _**MORE!**" Yukata shouted as she continued to absorb Inner Moka's power. "Soon, we will be one, vampire!"

_SWORD VENT._

"Stop, Lady Yukata!" Noir pleaded as she, Wrath, Strike, and Siren slashed through the vines binding Inner Moka and absorbing her power with their Sword Vents. While Wrath was able to dodge Yukata's creature's vines with his high-speed movement ability, Noir wasn't quite so lucky, as one of the vines stabbed her in her Advent Deck.

"Ruby!" Wrath cried out.

The Noir Armor dissipated from around Ruby, as her deck fell to the ground, cracked into pieces. Even worse, Yukata's creature's vines had grabbed Ruby and were now holding her tight. "Her Advent Deck . . . it's broken . . ." Siren murmured, stunned at the sight.

"Why?" Yukata asked Ruby painfully. "Why defy me like this?"

"Because this slaughter is pointless," Ruby replied sadly. "It won't make us any happier. It won't end the loneliness . . ." She turned to look at the Kamen Riders, aiming her gaze particularly at Eubulon, Wrath, and Onyx. "I can't use my magic anymore. Please . . . stop her. Please stop my master. . . ."

That was the last thing she said before she was swallowed by Yukata's creature, much to the horror of the Riders and the girls. "She . . . ate her?" Yukari uttered, stunned beyond belief.

"You . . . _you monster!_" Wrath shouted, outraged to the extreme. He shunted himself into an attack on Yukata, slashing at her from every angle possible with his Gold Sabers.

"You must have liked my Ruby a lot . . ." Yukata commented of Wrath, who was now living up to his name. "Too bad for you, her life is part of me now."

"Ruby . . . gave her life to stop your madness," Wrath snarled, "and I'm going to be damned if I don't do something to stop you!"

"We will honor . . . her last wish," Inner Moka declared, holding Ruby's scepter.

"Shut up!" Yukata shouted. "I'll make you all part of me so you can stop talking such rubbish!"

* * *

Just then, a black-armored warrior on a motorcycle shaped vaguely like a mantis rushed into the fray. His helmet was modeled after a mantis, with the visor shaped like a heart, while his breastplate was also modeled after a heart and colored silver with red accents. "Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice!" Dime Trigger shouted.

"Thought you could use some help," Shadow Chalice answered.

"We appreciate it," Strike remarked.

"So this is the woman behind all those disappearances," Shadow Chalice remarked, getting off his motorcycle. "Let's finish this."

Shadow Chalice and Dime Trigger began shooting their weapons, a vicious-looking bow and the Trigger Rouser, at Yukata's monster. Knight Saber charged up close, swiping the cards necessary for his Saber Rouser to initiate the Lightning Slash move.

Axe and Spear attacked the plant monster with Axe's Dest Claws and Spear's Gazelle Stab, while Siren and Eubulon slashed at the beast's vines with her Wing Lancer and his Alter Lance, respectively. Torque shot down the creature's vines with his Magna Visor, and Camo just assaulted the creature with his bare fists as Inner Moka ducked and weaved through the plant beast's attempts to capture her.

"All together, let's finish this!" Wrath shouted.

"How?" Torque asked.

"A witch can't use her power without a medium, right?" Yukari said. "That book must be Yukata's medium!"

"Then we attack the book," Wing Knight said, back in his normal armor after his Survive Mode burned out. Dragon Knight and Onyx beside him had also reverted to their normal armors while in the midst of fighting through Yukata's vines.

_FINAL VENT._

Dragredder and Dragblacker coiled around their respective Riders as they prepared to strike the finishing blow. Wing Knight jumped into the air with Blackwing attaching itself to his back. Incisor jumped on Volcancer, ready to use its claws as a springboard. Thrust armed his Strike Vent while positioning himself on Metalgelas's shoulders. Sting jumped on Evildiver's back, while Strike back-flipped, placing his feet in Venosnaker's mouth. Wrath slowly ascended into the sky, lifted by the burning aura of Goldphoenix.

_KICK – THUNDER – MACH – Lightning Sonic!_

_DROP – FIRE – GEMINI – Burning Divide!_

_FLOAT – DRILL – TORNADO – Spinning Dance!_

The twin dragon Advent Beasts used their flames to propel their Riders into powerful flying kicks that ripped through Yukata's plant monster. Venosnaker spat Strike out at the plant beast, propelling the cobra Rider into a bicycle kick that battered the creature. Knight Saber flew into a lightning-charged kick that pierced the plant beast. Dime Trigger performed a burning drop kick that had him momentarily split in two to double the force of the kick. Shadow Heart flew into the air and twisted into a wind-amplified corkscrew kick that tore into the plant monster.

Blackwing wrapped around a soaring Wing Knight holding his Wing Lancer to form a drill that pierced Yukata. Using his Advent Beast's claws as a springboard, Incisor performed a flying barrel roll attack that punched through Yukata's defenses. Pushed by Metalgelas, Thrust impaled Yukata with his Metal Horn, and Sting rammed into her riding Evildiver. Wrath crashed down on Yukata while engulfed in flames from Goldphoenix . . .

. . . and Inner Moka finished it all off by stabbing Yukata's book with Ruby's scepter. "That was your one weakness, that book. A witch can't perform magic without a medium, right?"

"Oh . . . oh, no . . ." Eubulon murmured.

"What is it, Master Eubulon?" Siren asked.

"We have to get out of here!" Eubulon shouted. "Now that her fusion has been broken, it's going to result in an explosion that'll take us all out!"

* * *

Inside the slowly growing sphere of magical power that would shatter in an explosion that would kill everyone in the vicinity, Ruby gently cradled Yukata's body. "Lady Yukata . . ."

"Ruby . . . I thought . . . I thought you'd abandoned me," the older witch murmured with mixed relief and sadness. "Don't you hate me? After all I've done to you?"

"No, I don't," Ruby whispered. "I never could. Please, let's just go home together so we can live in peace."

"I've been so blind," Yukata realized. "But it was always you that was in my thoughts, in my heart . . . the only one that mattered to me . . ."

* * *

The Riders and the girls had managed to escape the explosion in time and now they gazed at the destruction that had been wrought. "All for nothing . . ." Adam muttered sadly. "In the end . . . we failed. _I _failed. . . ."

That was when a small rental car approached them, driven by Nekonome-sensei, who was now stepping out of the driver's seat. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "What happened here?"

"Tragedy," Adam replied grimly.

"Not quite, Adam," a familiar voice spoke, as Nolan came through, carrying Ruby in his arms like a groom carrying his bride. The witch was unconscious in the veteran Kamen Rider's arms, tired from the ordeal she had gone through. "Turns out Yukata used the last of her strength to save Ruby's life."

"Really leaves you speechless, huh?" the bus driver remarked of Adam's stunned expression at seeing Ruby in Nolan's arms, getting off the bus.

"Yeah, Adam," Gin piped up, following the driver off the bus. "I know you feel the need to torture yourself over everybody you feel you screwed over or couldn't save, but give it a rest. You did all you could . . . and it paid off big-time in this case."

"What are you doing here, Gin?" Adam asked.

"Just came to check out the scenery," Gin replied. "L.A.'s full of cuties." He looked at the assembled Kamen Riders. "Holy crap . . ."

"You're a lot stronger than you think you are, Adam," Eubulon said. "The bonds you've made with Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore showed Ruby and Yukata that relations between humans and other creatures don't have to be constant war and misery. You changed their hearts . . . and you've all saved this world."

"Yeah, you're quite the guy, Adam," Kit remarked, lightly punching his Ventaran twin in the shoulder.

"You're a much better man than you give yourself credit for," Kase added. "You always have been."

"Thanks . . ." was Adam's sheepish response. He straightened up. "But what do we do now? Xaviax is back, he's made it clear that he can recruit Riders to pit against us with the Advent Decks he stole . . . and he's probably still got more he can call to fight us."

Eubulon picked up the remains of the Noir Advent Deck and closed his eyes in concentration, channeling regenerative energy into it. Slowly but surely, the damaged deck restored itself to pristine condition. "There," he said, opening his eyes. "Now it'll be ready in case Ruby wants to pick it up on a more permanent basis. If not . . ."

"You can always recruit someone else," Nolan filled in.

"Yes," Eubulon acknowledged. "Right now . . ." He looked around.

"Looking for Shadow Chalice?" Trent asked. "That guy comes and goes as he pleases and never wants to stick around and be social. He kind of reminds me of Batman with the Justice League."

"I'm still confused about where he got his Rider Armor," Eubulon remarked. "It couldn't be Xaviax, because he's been fighting with, not against, us."

"He's a strange guy," Chris admitted. "But I think, in his heart, he wants to help. He just has a funny way of doing it."

"We'll figure out the mystery behind Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice eventually," Eubulon replied. "Right now, we should go back and prepare. We haven't seen the last of Xaviax. He'll gather other pawns to use against us, and we need to be ready for when he strikes again."

"Yeah, but can we rest right now?" Chance asked. "I'm kinda sore."

Eubulon chuckled. "We can do that."

Next: Heart of Onyx

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, the end of my version of the Witch's Knoll arc. We've seen new Riders show themselves, we've seen old friends and old enemies return, and we've gotten to see eleven Rider finishing moves used all against the same opponent! However, this is not quite the end of the Newspaper Club's adventures in the human world. There'll be some downtime chapters after this point, during which Adam will explore his true feelings for Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore and try to find out which girl he truly wants to be with. Fortunately, his fellow Kamen Riders will be there to guide him on the path of romance! Sound good enough for you? Then hang on for the next chapter, be sure to review, and until next time . . . let's ride!


	21. Heart of Onyx

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 21: "Heart of Onyx"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, Ishinomori Productions, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money whatsoever from the use of either series' characters or properties in this story. This is only for fun.

Author's note: After the big blowout last chapter, it's time for our heroes to relax a little and have some fun. Of course, with Xaviax still out there and able to recruit more Riders for his side, who knows how long that fun will last? Not to mention that Adam is starting to undergo a metamorphosis that will affect the direction of this story in its later chapters, a metamorphosis that could very well destroy him . . . or the ones he loves.

For those of you disappointed by the lack of a "Rider Fashion Check" omake last chapter, never fear; it'll appear in this chapter. I just didn't feel right attaching it to such a dramatic story as last chapter was. In any case, you will get what you were asking for, and then some! Now, let's ride.

* * *

It was morning, and Adam went to the bathroom, throwing water on his face from the sink faucet to snap out of his sleepy delirium. He got a very nasty surprise when he looked in the mirror, specifically his twisted reflection. His eyes were red with catlike slit pupils, his sandy hair had paled to silvery blond with messy spikes in his face, and a cruel leer was fixed on his face.

Adam stepped back from his reflection in shock. "What the . . . ?"

"What's the matter?" the reflection asked. "Don't like seeing what you'll become?"

"Who are you?" Adam snapped. "Are you another one of Xaviax's tricks! Because I'm not falling for it this time!"

Adam's twisted reflection smirked at him. "You can't run from yourself forever, Adam."

"You're not me!" Adam yelled, and attempted to punch his reflection. Unfortunately, his fist went right into the mirror . . . and he could see his reflection grabbing his wrist. A second later, he was yanked inside the mirror and thrown onto the ground on the other side. Rolling to his feet, Adam sprang up to face his doppelganger, who still smirked at him. "Who are you?"

"You're really dense, aren't you?" Adam's doppelganger remarked. "I'm _you._"

"Oh, yeah? Well, if you're me . . . can you do this?" Adam pulled the Onyx Deck out and held it up in front of him, summoning his Advent Belt.

"Sure, I can." Adam's doppelganger had his own Advent Belt . . . and a red Advent Deck with a black dragon crest identical to the one on the Onyx Deck. Both Adams slammed their Advent Decks into the empty slots that served as their belt buckles.

"Kamen Rider!"

A red-tinged black energy sphere engulfed Adam as his change asserted itself, while a purple-black energy sphere with dark red accents engulfed his double to initiate his own change. When their transformations finished, the energy spheres faded away, revealing that the other Adam had transformed into another Onyx, but his torso armor, except for the plating directly covering his chest, had turned blood red, as had the armor on his arms, legs, and shoulders. The Blood Red Onyx cracked the joints in his neck before staring down Kamen Rider Onyx.

"Let's do this," he taunted Onyx.

_SWORD VENT._

Both Black Onyx and Crimson Onyx summoned their Drag Sabers and charged each other, clashing swords once they met. "Who are you?" Onyx asked.

"You keep asking that," the Crimson Onyx replied conversationally. "It's really getting annoying. You're like a broken record." He slashed Onyx with his Drag Saber before kicking him in the midriff, knocking him to the ground. The blood-red Rider lunged to finish Onyx, but Onyx pulled his legs back to catch his double with his feet and kick him away. "So you have some fight in you, after all."

Onyx got up, smiling grimly behind his mask. "You should know. You _are_ me, after all," he mocked his doppelganger.

The blood-red Rider lunged at Onyx, who slashed him with his Drag Saber and jumped to kick him in the back. Bouncing off his double, Kamen Rider Onyx back-flipped onto his feet and watched as the Crimson Onyx spun to face him. The blood-red Rider launched himself into a drop kick that came with such speed and force that Onyx went flying through the mirror and back onto the side he'd come from.

* * *

Adam woke up with a start, hearing a twisted version of his own voice say, _"Only a taste of things to come."_ Suddenly, the former Dragon Knight felt ill, and he sprang out of his futon, rushing to the bathroom of his hotel room and making it to the open toilet before vomiting. He dry-heaved for about a minute, only to vomit again, but this time he could see what he was depositing into the toilet.

It was blood.

"What's happening to me?" he wondered, before he felt another attack of sickness, forcing him to vomit more blood into the toilet. Breathing heavily for a few minutes, Adam finally felt like he could stop throwing up. Reacting quickly, he reached for the lever that would flush the toilet, watching as its contents went down the drain. Slowly getting up, he staggered to the sink and gargled mouthwash frantically for ten minutes before he was sure his breath wouldn't stink of blood.

Panting deeply, Adam looked up at the mirror, expecting his reflection to turn on him just like it had in his nightmare. To his relief, he looked completely normal, except for his bloodshot eyes. He turned to leave the bathroom and try to get a few more minutes of sleep when he saw Mizore sitting in the corner between the door he'd left ajar and the wall.

"Mizore . . ." Adam uttered in surprise.

"You're usually never surprised to see me," Mizore remarked coolly.

"How long were you here?" Adam asked.

"Long enough to watch you gargle mouthwash like you were trying to cover up the scent of blood," Mizore answered simply.

"I'm all right, Mizore," Adam said. "You don't need to worry about me."

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better," Mizore whispered, getting out of the corner and approaching Adam slowly. "You can tell me if you're feeling bad."

Adam sighed. "Please don't tell anyone about what you saw. At least not till I've gotten the chance to figure out what's going on."

"You might just be sick," Mizore suggested. She gazed intently at his bare torso. "You're really fit . . ."

Adam blushed. "Kamen Rider training has its benefits," he remarked sheepishly.

Mizore reached out to finger a particular scar on his chest. "And you have so many scars. Did you get all those from fighting?"

"Yeah," Adam admitted, managing to keep his composure. "The one you're touching? That was from Len."

"Len?" Mizore asked. "I thought he was your friend."

"He is," Adam replied. "I deserved that wound. I was going to do something horrible to him, to the other Riders . . . to Earth . . ."

"But you didn't," Mizore reminded him, her hand now covering his heart. "That heartbeat I feel? That's the heartbeat of a good man, one who'll fight with everything he has to protect the ones he loves."

Adam looked into Mizore's eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity (and dare he say, love?) in those crystalline blue eyes as she looked at him. It sent a strange but pleasant chill through him, knowing that there was someone who loved him that deeply, no matter how much of a monster he held himself to be. "Mizore, I . . ."

That was when Kurumu burst in, wearing nothing but a skimpy sleeping yukata that displayed her feminine charms very well. "What do you think you're doing, stalker girl?" she shouted accusingly.

"Giving comfort to my future husband," Mizore answered coolly, wrapping her arms around Adam protectively.

"Oh, no!" Kurumu snapped. "If anyone's going to do any comforting for Adam, it'll be me!" The succubus let her attentions be known with the intense gaze in her eyes, her nails lengthening dangerously all the while.

"Then bring it on," Mizore challenged, and the air around them noticeably chilled. Her ice claws were already fully formed, sharp as knives, and she was ready to stake her claim.

_Not this again . . ._ Adam groaned internally. Before hostilities could really ensue, Cam walked in, looking confusedly at the tableau before him.

"So, anybody wanna tell me what's up?" he asked.

"Stay out of this!" Kurumu and Mizore shouted at him.

"Can't," Cam replied. "All that property damage isn't gonna look good, and I'll be stuck fixing it again."

"Well, you are the go-to guy when it comes to things like that," Adam jibed lightly.

Cam chuckled sarcastically. "Funny, Adam. You've become a real comedian since the last time we saw each other." He looked at the two girls who were about ready to fight each other for Adam's love. "You must be Kurumu Kurono and Mizore Shirayuki."

"Adam told you about us?" Kurumu asked.

"Master Eubulon did," Cam amended. "He never said how volatile you were, though. Not that I mind, it actually makes things a little more exciting. By the way, I'm Cam, Kamen Rider Thrust. So, can I ask what started this?"

"Long story," Adam answered, quietly sweating.

"Well, Chance would love to see a catfight. Heck, he would sell tickets," Cam joked. "Anyway, Master Eubulon asked me to call you all down for breakfast."

"Thanks, we'll be right there," Adam said.

"Dress decently," Cam suggested to Adam, gesturing at his shirtless chest. "We don't want the girls getting heart attacks, do we?"

Adam scoffed. "Laugh riot a minute, aren't you?"

* * *

The morning was kicked off by a combination of American-style pancakes, waffles, and toast with more Japanese-flavored breakfast foods. "Looks good," Adam remarked.

"It should," Eubulon replied. "Moka helped a great deal."

Moka blushed. "It was nothing. I just did my part."

Adam smiled. "Well, it was a great part."

Kurumu silently gritted her teeth, watching Adam and Moka blushing and smiling at each other, staring into each other's eyes oh-so-soulfully . . . it pissed her off. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel guilty for those feelings, because Moka really was her friend, even if they were rivals for the same boy.

"Where's Len?" Adam asked.

"Watching over Ruby for Nolan," Chase replied. "It was the only way Nolan here would come down to eat." He snickered. "I think he's fallen in love at first sight."

"I'm just concerned for her well-being," Nolan insisted. "She's been through a lot, especially since she lost the woman that was like a mother to her."

"You do remember they tried to wipe out the human race, right?" Hunt remarked sourly.

"Ruby helped us stop her, remember?" Nolan remarked.

"Someone has a real attitude problem," Kurumu murmured.

"That's just the way he is," Cam whispered. "He's very rigid when it comes to good and evil, and he's not the quickest to forgive that I've known."

"Enough," Eubulon declared softly, yet authoritatively. "There is no need to argue over past wrongdoings. We've protected this world from destruction once again, and I suggest we simply enjoy each other's company."

"Yes, Master Eubulon," the Riders assented.

Eubulon smiled softly. "Besides, there's too much good food to go to waste."

The gathered Riders, along with Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore, dug into their breakfast. "Moka's cooking is the best!" Yukari shouted.

"No, not really . . ." Moka demurred shyly.

"Nonsense, you're really good at it," Chance remarked with a flirty smile, which Moka blushed demurely at seeing.

"Thanks," she said.

"Hey, Adam." Kurumu smiled charmingly at her desired lover. "Let me feed you."

"No, let me," Mizore objected.

"Back off, stalker girl!" Kurumu hissed.

"You first, boobs-for-brains!" Mizore retorted.

Eubulon cleared his throat, leveling a stern gaze towards the both of them. Chance just snickered quietly and asked Moka, "Are they always like this?"

That was when a familiar presence, unpleasantly so to some, made himself known. "Hey, how come nobody woke me up?"

"KUYO!"

Gin was the first to shoot out of his seat, ready to fight the new arrival. The Newspaper Club girls looked frightened, but when Adam saw the uniform this man was wearing, he sprang out of his seat and pulled the man in for a hug. The blond man was surprised but no less willing to return the manful embrace before pulling back to look at Adam.

"You look different, Adam," the man remarked serenely.

"And you . . . you look about the same . . ." Adam answered.

"What's going on here?" Yukari asked. "You two are acting like you're old friends!"

"We are," Adam replied, turning to the girls. "Everyone, this is Tobi – Kamen Rider Haze. Tobi, this is everyone. The Riders of Ventara, including Kit Taylor, the new Dragon Knight . . ." He moved his eyes specifically onto the Newspaper Club girls. "These are my friends in the Newspaper Club – Moka Akashiya, Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendo, Mizore Shirayuki, and Ginei Morioka."

"What the hell kinda trick is this?" Gin asked irately.

"There's no need for violence," Eubulon stated calmly. "This is Tobi, who was to be the first of the second-generation Kamen Riders. In fact, I was training him to be my successor, when I reached the point I would no longer be able to lead you all."

The Newspaper Club members looked confused. "Remember Kit and Adam?" Eubulon offered. "Everyone on Earth has a Ventaran twin and vice versa. That includes the man you know as Kuyo, but I assure you that Tobi is nothing like him."

"Sorry for the scare," Tobi said. "My face must have brought back unpleasant memories."

"Don't worry, Tobi," Price said. "Some of us have experience with our Earth counterparts disgracing our Advent Decks."

"Speaking of . . ." Adam looked at Tobi remorsefully. "I'm sorry. Xaviax took several Advent Decks when he came back. One of them was yours."

"And my counterpart, this man Kuyo, is currently in possession of it, no doubt," Tobi deduced.

"Yeah," Adam admitted shamefacedly.

"Fortunately, he didn't have time to take all of the second-generation Advent Decks," Eubulon said. "The Riders were able to drive him off before he could. And with Xaviax recruiting again, we'll need all the help we can get. Are you in, Tobi?"

"Always," Tobi answered simply.

"It's nice to meet you, Tobi," Nolan greeted him. "I'm Kamen Rider Wrath. You can call me Nolan."

"Kit," Kit offered. "Dragon Knight."

One by one, the others introduced themselves by both their names and their Rider designations. "Sit down," Kase said. "Eat with us."

Tobi looked almost surprised at that simple request. "It's no problem, Tobi," Quinn said. "Adam must have had some inkling of what he was doing when he had you bond with that deck."

Adam just gazed at the ground as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Truth be told, he had just been desperate, and gone to the first person he'd figured could help. He'd never forgive himself for getting Tobi vented, just like he couldn't forgive himself for Ventara.

"It's in the past, Adam," Tobi murmured, as though reading Adam's mind. "Past regrets don't need to ruin the future."

"I know . . . but . . ." Adam's gaze lowered. He still felt guilty over his past deeds. The first was when he unwittingly betrayed the Riders and Ventara when he allowed Xaviax into the base to vent the Riders. The second was when Xaviax came to him again and threatened Sarah to force him to infiltrate the Riders so he could take the people of Earth.

The Newspaper Club eyed Tobi critically. He may have the same face as Kuyo's but he definitely wasn't the same psychopathic leader of the Student Police. Moka was the first to approach Tobi and she offered her own hand in friendship. "I apologize, Tobi-san, for how everyone reacted." If Adam trusted Tobi, that was good enough for her.

Tobi took her hand and kissed the back of her hand. She blushed. "I see Adam's choice in company has improved if they are as lovely as you."

"Smooth talker," Gin mumbled sourly.

"Look at it this way; he doesn't try to peep on girls," Adam jibed.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" Gin remarked.

"No," Adam admitted.

"After we're done with breakfast, how about a spar?" Tobi suggested. "Just to stretch my legs a little bit."

"Sure," Adam agreed.

* * *

After they'd finished breakfast, Adam and Tobi mirror-shifted into the Riders' Ventaran base, right into the practice area. Adam and Tobi cast off their jackets, revealing their T-shirts, and began practicing the Seven Forms. Once that was done, they shifted into combat stances, facing off against each other.

"Let's see if you've still got it," Adam challenged.

Tobi performed a cartwheel that ended with his boot flying at Adam's face, which Adam crossed his arms to block. Tobi simply sprang and twisted into an aerial kick that briefly knocked Adam off-balance. As Adam rolled to his feet, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and went on the attack, striking with fast jabs and kicks. Tobi knocked Adam's jabs aside to throw him off-balance, but Adam twisted around for a roundhouse kick that connected with Tobi's stomach.

"Not bad," Tobi remarked, stumbling back a few steps.

Adam moved into a fighting stance. "I'm only getting started."

Tobi went on the offensive with a straight blast of repeated punches that Adam could barely block or counter. For each punch Adam countered, though, another slipped past his guard and left its mark on him. They weren't enough to knock him down, but he did lose his balance several times and he was starting to get sore.

"Your movements speak of conflict, of doubt . . . of fear," Tobi observed. "What is it you're afraid of?"

Adam glared. "I'm not afraid."

"It's not me you're afraid of," Tobi mused. "I can tell that much."

"Since when were you my therapist?" Adam asked irritably.

"Fighting is but one form of communication," Tobi replied. "Someone speaks a lot of themselves in how they approach battle. And right now, what you're saying to me is that you're frightened to your core."

"Well, they say courage is being scared out of your wits and going ahead, anyway," Adam quipped, lunging at Tobi, who merely swatted aside Adam's strike and elbowed him to the ground.

"Not facing what it is you truly fear is not courage," Tobi stated.

Adam rolled away from Tobi's next strike and sprang onto his feet, lunging into a sideways cartwheel that ended in a kick to Tobi's chest. "And what is it I fear?" he asked, his eyes flashing an eerie red.

Tobi stared into those red eyes. _You have changed, and maybe not for the better._ Aloud, "Is it yourself you fear?"

"I sold out my friends and two worlds because I was in love and I couldn't bear letting her go," Adam muttered with recrimination in his voice. "That's the kind of bastard I am."

Tobi answered that with a fast punch to Adam's jaw, knocking him down. "So that's it. You fear love, because you believe your love will lead only to betrayal and destruction."

Adam wiped his mouth again, this time coming away with blood on the back of his hand. "Sums it up quite nicely, doesn't it?"

"And you fear breaking their hearts, fear causing them pain."

"I love them," Adam admitted sadly, rising to his feet. "All of them. That's what makes this so hard."

"They all have their attractive qualities; otherwise, you wouldn't have fallen for them," Tobi remarked. "Yet, you're scared to confess to any of them because you believe your choice would cause the others pain."

"Exactly," Adam confirmed.

"Have you thought of honestly admitting that you feel strongly for all of them?" Tobi wondered. "It could make things a lot simpler."

Adam laughed ironically. "Or a lot harder. You've seen Mizore and Kurumu, right?"

Tobi smiled. "Then tell them they'll have to learn to share."

Adam stepped back. "You mean like a harem? Like they used to do back thousands of years ago?"

Tobi shrugged. "Why not? Yokai ethics when it comes to the marriage bed are surprisingly flexible, although there are certain codes to be followed as well, just like in human relationships. You care for them all and you don't want to hurt any of them, right? I think, at least for the sake of your own long-term health, this is the only avenue you have."

"I'm not exactly marriage material," Adam remarked.

"The way they treat you and vice versa says otherwise," Tobi mused.

"Before school ended, I met this guy who thought he was some sort of monster until he fell in love with a girl," Adam explained. "She showed him that life was worth living and that there were people worth defending, worth fighting for . . . even worth dying for. Granted, he's still somewhat hard-edged from what I saw, but he's a nice guy once you get to know him."

"Interesting man," Tobi remarked. "I'll have to meet him one day. By the way, if you're worried about which one of them you'd be best off with, why don't you try going out with them all? Let them have a taste of what they could experience with you instead of walling yourself off because you're afraid you'll hurt them."

"That sounds like an idea," Adam admitted. "It could work."

"All right," Tobi said, picking up his jacket and tossing Adam's jacket to the former Dragon Knight.

"We're done?" Adam asked.

"We're done," Tobi replied. "Unless you've developed a taste for pain."

Adam blushed slightly, remembering the pinching feeling of Moka's fangs sinking into his skin and the erotic charge of his blood flowing into her. "Never mind." He put his jacket back on, cracking the joints in his neck a bit.

"Besides, I'm looking forward to meeting your friend Len," Tobi said. "Master Eubulon talked about him, but he wasn't at the table with us."

"Nolan made him watch over another Rider, Ruby Toujou," Adam explained. "I think he's fallen in love with her."

"Do tell," Tobi commented.

"It's a pretty long story," Adam said.

"Then start at the beginning, as all stories do," Tobi suggested. "Like this Yokai Academy. I heard that you faced my Earth mirror twin. Was he really as bad as I heard?"

"Let's just say that he's your total opposite and not a really nice guy," Adam replied. _A total asshole compared to you._

* * *

While Adam was telling Tobi the story of his adventures at Yokai Academy, Chance had cornered Gin. "So what's the deal with you and Adam, anyway?" he asked.

"He's an upstart bastard who somehow gets more girls than I do," Gin replied sourly before cracking a smile. "But I love the son of a bitch like a brother from another mother."

"Ok," Chance said. "What about those girls he's got hanging all over him?"

"Oh, they are just absolutely divine!" Gin exclaimed. "And Moka is the most beautiful of them all! But instead of going for a handsome gent like me, they go for a broody punk like Adam. I guess the whole 'dark and troubled past' thing, plus the superhero thing, really makes girls go weak in the knees."

"So I've heard," Chance mused aloud. "How'd he meet them all?"

"Moka was the first girl he met at Yokai Academy," Gin said. "Fell head-over-heels for him, and vice versa, but Adam won't say it aloud because he thinks he doesn't deserve her. Then there's Kurumu . . ."

"The one with the big chest?" Chance asked.

"Yeah, exactly," Gin confirmed. "She's a succubus, and for some reason she thinks Adam's the only one who can help her repopulate her race."

"Why would succubae have a hard time increasing their population?" Chance wondered. "There're plenty of men who'd give their right arm and their souls for one night with them, if I've heard the legends right."

"Well, that's how it works," Gin replied. "Don't ask me how. And Yukari . . . the most annoying little witch I've ever met, and I mean that literally. She literally is a witch."

"Magic?" Chance asked.

"Yeah, magic," Gin affirmed. "Somehow, she's got it in her head that Adam and Moka are going to let her into their bed once they get together. She's really kinda obsessed with having them both."

"She's twelve," Chance stated with flat surprise.

"Try telling her that," Gin remarked.

"What about the one with the lollipop in her mouth? Mizore, right?" Chance wondered.

"She's a yuki-onna," Gin explained. "A Fey species that lives in cold regions where there's plenty of snow, and the legends say they're so captivating that men have willingly walked to their snowy deaths just for a chance to get close to them."

"Should I be worried for Adam?" Chance inquired.

"No, she's harmless," Gin replied. "Except for pulling out the ice blades on people she doesn't like, and usually all you have to do to get her to dislike you is to get between her and Adam. She's getting better about it, though. Adam seems to like her just fine, though . . ."

Chance tapped his chin, pondering everything Gin had told him. Three extremely attractive girls were in love with Adam, and Chance was nothing if not an aficionado of the feminine form. Thus, he didn't count Yukari because the little witch was not nearly old enough to have that kind of appeal. He began to smile, thinking of a way he could help Adam and at the same time amuse himself.

"Gin . . . are you a betting man?"

* * *

After talking it out with Tobi, Adam was now trying to decide who to date first. The obvious choice was Moka, but how was he going to ask her out? Be straightforward? Be subtle? How would he get her alone long enough to ask her out? A frequent occurrence, every time Adam thought he was alone with Moka, was for the other girls to show up and begin attempting to catch his attention – like they had some kind of radar for him.

_Maybe I should get them all together and just tell them,_ he thought. A sigh escaped his lips. It was so much easier when he thought he was completely in love with Moka, but his feelings for the other girls complicated things immensely. He loved Yukari like the little sister he'd never had, but that girl clearly wanted more out of their unique relationship. She'd just have to wait until she was old enough, though, because Adam had no intention of going to jail.

On the other hand, jail might very well be a blessing compared to the dangers involved in telling the girls he wanted to try polyamory. According to Tobi, that was the safest solution; that way everyone came out at least somewhat happy and nobody ended up killing anybody, him included but especially each other, over a broken heart. The question, though, was . . . could he do it?

_Maybe . . . I could ask for some more advice?_ Adam wondered.

Next: Grinding Axes on Dragons

* * *

End Notes: Well, this was a pretty low-key chapter with only a couple of fight scenes compared to last chapter. In any case, Kuyo's mirror twin has finally made his appearance and things seem to be all right when it comes to his relationship with Adam. However, Adam isn't quite all right, still having doubts about his worthiness to be loved by the Newspaper Club girls and now being haunted by visions of a dark reflection of himself in his nightmares. Not to mention Chance is plotting mischief involving Adam's relationship woes, and what role will Gin play in the mayhem Chance intends to cause? For answers to that question, as well as the question of the nature of Adam's new nightmares, hang on for the next chapter and until then . . . let's ride!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Welcome to another episode of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" a beautiful blue-haired girl with large, bouncy breasts barely contained by a yellow sweater announced. "I'm your host, the sensational Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much-more-endowed-where-it-counts co-host Yukari Sendo!" a young girl, roughly twelve, in a witch's hat declared. This caused Kurumu to aim a death glare her way, to which Yukari retorted by sticking out her tongue.

Kurumu caught Yukari's tongue between her forefinger and middle finger. "Anyway, we're here to introduce yet another Kamen Rider! This one is none other than Kamen Rider Axe, the white tiger!"

With the press of a button, Kurumu turned on the screen behind her and Yukari, which showed the image of Kamen Rider Axe wielding his Dest Visor. She let go of Yukari's tongue in time for Yukari to begin explaining.

"That axe in his hands is Kamen Rider Axe's Visor," Yukari explained, "where he slots his Advent Cards – like this one!"

With another tap of a button, the image changed from Kamen Rider Axe holding his Visor to Axe wielding the Dest Claws, a pair of oversized gauntlets ending in tiger-like claws. "Wow, those look pretty dangerous," Kurumu remarked. "Like he could really tear somebody to shreds with them."

"And as if that's not enough, his Freeze Vent enables him to stop Advent Beasts in their tracks," Yukari added, "which can prevent his opponent's Final Vent from being performed right away if that opponent is another Rider."

"Why would the Kamen Riders fight each other?" Kurumu asked.

"Did you forget, silly?" Yukari asked. "Xaviax stole their Advent Decks and gave them to people on Earth in exchange for them doing his bidding. The Kamen Riders not on Xaviax's side had to fight the ones that were."

"Oh . . . but what about the Ventaran Axe?" Kurumu asked. "He acts like he hates Adam, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a fight between them eventually."

"I hope Adam wipes the floor with him!" Yukari declared heatedly. "He's been trying his hardest to make up for what happened on Ventara! He doesn't deserve to be treated like an outcast!"

"I do like the tiger motif he has going on, though," Kurumu remarked. "That's some pretty good fashion sense there."

"Duh," Yukari said. "All the Riders look cool, but Adam looks cooler than all of them!"

"Even Kit?" Kurumu wondered out loud. "Because they were both Dragon Knight, and they were both Onyx. I'm confused now . . ."

"Kit's cool, but he doesn't compare to Adam!" Yukari declared. "Although you're welcome to take him and get out of the way so Moka and I can have Adam for ourselves!"

"Why, you little brat!" Kurumu yelled, lunging at Yukari, who quickly leaped out of the way and summoned a basin to drop on Kurumu's head.

Yukari giggled. "And then there's Axe's Final Vent, which summons his Advent Beast Destwilder – a bipedal white tiger – to drag his opponent toward him so Axe can take him out with his Dest Claws!"

"That's probably one of the nastiest Final Vents I've ever heard of," Kurumu remarked.

"Yeah," Yukari agreed. "It's not a good way to go. Pity whoever messes with Kamen Rider Axe."

"It's such a shame he's such a jerk," Kurumu commented. "He'd be ok otherwise."

"You thinking of going after him?" Yukari asked.

"If he keeps messing with Adam like that, yeah," Kurumu admitted. "I have to protect my Destined One, after all." She sighed. "That's it for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_ Tune in next time for when we tackle the First Lady of the Kamen Riders herself – Siren! Until then, this is Kurumu Kurono . . ."

". . . and Yukari Sendo, signing out!"


	22. Grinding Axes on Dragons

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 22: "Grinding Axes on Dragons"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Steve and Michael Wang, and Ishinomori Productions. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Entertainment. I make no money from the use of either property or their related characters and settings in this story.

Author's note: In the last arc, I teased a potential confrontation for Kamen Riders Axe and Onyx, given that Hunt has been so far unwilling to forgive Adam for his betrayal of Ventara. In the meantime, Kuyo's Ventaran twin Tobi has returned from the Advent Void and looks to be restoring his friendship with Adam while helping Adam with his love life.

Speaking of Adam's love life, Chance has his own plans regarding that, and those plans will doubtlessly lead to some manner of chaos. As if all that weren't bad enough, visions of a darker alter ego torment Adam, alluding to yet another fall from grace, while Xaviax is still out there recruiting Dark Riders. With these problems facing the Kamen Riders and the Newspaper Club, will they prevail? Read on to see for yourself.

* * *

"Chance," Price announced himself outside the shower being used by the gunslinger Rider.

"Yeah, Price?" Chance asked, shouting over the running water. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you think you're doing with this betting ring of yours," Price replied.

"What's there to know?" Chance asked. "I'm helping Adam get his love life in order, and I'm going to make a few bucks while doing it. Nothing wrong with that."

"I still think it's a bad idea," Price objected. "The romantic affairs of our friends are nothing to toy with."

"But Len and Kase are so boring!" Chance whined. "We know they'll be together through thick and thin, so where's the fun in messing with _them?_"

"And where's the fun in messing with Adam?" Price asked.

Not sensing that Price was being rhetorical, or maybe not giving a damn, Chance explained himself. "Guy's too shy around girls. I mean, he's got three beautiful girls willing to trip all over themselves to be with him, and he's obviously not made a move to let them know who he really wants."

"Maybe he doesn't want to hurt any of them," Price mused.

"The longer he waits, he's still gonna hurt them," Chance retorted. "A guy who can't decide between girls is sitting on a powder keg just waiting to explode all over his ass, especially with girls as violent as Kurumu and Mizore act."

Price had to admit, that was a good point. Then again, Chance was far more insightful than his unrelenting sense of comedy let on. "That still doesn't explain the betting ring."

"That's just for my own amusement," Chance admitted with a grin before turning off the water. "Now could you pass me my towel?"

Price picked up a towel with a monogrammed "C.T." – C for Chance, and T for Torque – and tossed it into the shower, where it was caught by Chance. "You're welcome."

"Thank you," Chance answered with a grin before drying off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adam was heading to speak to Moka when he ran into a lurking Hunt. "Oh, hey, Hunt."

Hunt just glowered at Adam. "You've got some nerve."

"Look, I told you all I was sorry," Adam said.

"You betrayed us three times," Hunt answered. "Gave our world to Xaviax, then you let yourself be Xaviax's little puppet again, and after all that, you just ran off to die like a coward. How am I supposed to forgive any of that? Master Eubulon's always been too merciful with you."

"I don't deserve his mercy," Adam whispered. "And you're right. You're right to hate me. After all I've done . . ."

"I just want to know why," Hunt snarled. "Was that girl worth that much to you? And what about your little harem? Are they worth more to you than Ventara?"

"What are you getting at?" Adam asked, looking up to meet Hunt's furious dark eyes.

"I'm going to do what should have been done in the first place," Hunt replied. "I'll show you . . . what the Advent Void looks like." He pulled out his Advent Deck and thrust it out in front of him, summoning the Advent Belt in a burst of blue electricity wrapping around his waist. "Kamen Rider."

Slotting his deck into the buckle of the Advent Belt, Hunt initiated the transformation into Kamen Rider Axe, brandishing his Visor weapon once he'd completely changed. Adam just stared almost blankly at the axe-wielding Rider before reaching into his jacket pocket and withdrawing the Onyx Deck. Thrusting it out in front of him, he called forth his own Advent Belt in a burst of black electricity that wrapped around his waist.

"Kamen Rider."

Adam slotted his deck into the buckle of his Advent Belt, triggering his transformation into Kamen Rider Onyx. The change completed, he took on a defensive stance. "We can't do this here," Adam said. "Too many people. Someone other than you or I could get hurt."

"Good point," Hunt agreed. "And unlike you, I'm not willing to sacrifice innocent people so I can get what I want."

"Then let's go," Adam said. Both Riders tore off for the nearest mirror and jumped through, riding the Advent Cycles to Ventara. When they got there, the dueling Riders rushed off their Advent Cycles and faced off against each other in the middle of the empty street. Adam slotted an Advent Card into his Drag Visor, while Hunt brandished the Visor that gave him his Rider name.

_SWORD VENT._

Catching the black Drag Saber, Onyx charged Axe, who blocked his attack with his Visor. Brutally kicking Onyx in the knee, Axe followed up with a slash from the Dest Visor, knocking the black-clad Rider to the ground. Barely recovering in time to avoid being cleaved by Axe, Onyx rolled into a low kick to Axe's stomach, forcing the tiger-styled Rider back.

"You couldn't hate me . . . anymore than I hate myself," Kamen Rider Onyx whispered. "But if this is the only way you feel you can be at peace with yourself, let's do it."

Onyx charged Axe and slashed at him with his Drag Saber, only for Axe to catch the sword with his Visor and push down on it. Onyx twisted around to kick Axe in the chest, hitting him with the heel of his foot. Undeterred, Axe picked up his Visor and slotted an Advent Card with it.

_STRIKE VENT._

Summoning the Dest Claws, Axe charged Onyx and slashed at him with all the power and fury of a wild animal. One particular slash threw him up against a car, knocking him back into Earth and spitting him out in the middle of a busy street. Onyx had just enough time to swear before barely avoiding being run over.

"What is that, some kind of Kamen Rider cosplayer?" one of the drivers asked.

_Yeah, a cosplayer,_ Onyx thought to himself. _Thank God we're not public. Never hear the end of it, then._

It was at that moment that Axe lunged out of the reflection of another windshield and slashed at Onyx. This time, Onyx dodged and slotted an Advent Card. "Hunt, stop!"

_STRIKE VENT._

Hunt was too angry to stop, and as he charged Onyx, Onyx initiated the Drag Claw Fire move. Black fire rushed out of Dragblacker's jaws to engulf Axe, who was thrown back by the force of the strike and knocked through the reflection of another car's windshield. Onyx ran for the nearest parked car and dived into its reflection, catching Axe just as he was about to attack him.

When the two Riders were about to resume hostilities, both were brutally slashed by a very familiar pair of swords. Standing over the fallen Riders was Kamen Rider Wrath, and he did not look happy in the slightest, which was only confirmed when he spoke. "Adam. Hunt. Much better is expected of you as Riders than _this._ Whatever grudge exists between the two of you, find other ways to work it out instead of endangering innocent lives to satisfy your hurt feelings."

Neither Kamen Rider Axe nor Kamen Rider Onyx was willing to look up and meet Wrath's harsh stare. "Get up and follow me," the senior Kamen Rider ordered. "Master Eubulon will see to the injuries you've dealt one another."

* * *

Both Axe and Onyx got up and followed Wrath to the Riders' base, where Eubulon was waiting for them with a very stern expression. "You may dispel your armors now," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Bright cracks appeared in Axe's and Onyx's Rider armors before the energy formed vertical rings that pulled the armors off, revealing a badly winded Hunt and Adam. "Now, what would have caused you to fight each other as Riders out in the open?" Eubulon asked. "Need I remind you that our deal with the No-Men was to keep our existence a secret from the people of Earth?"

Hunt glared at Adam before turning to Eubulon. "Why is he not in the Advent Void for what he's done?"

"So that's what this is about," Eubulon mused aloud. "You're still angry."

"Of course I'm still angry!" Hunt exploded. "He betrayed us for Xaviax twice, and then you just let him walk away from everything!"

"An unwilling soldier is one that serves no good to anyone," Eubulon stated calmly. "That is why I allowed Adam to retire as Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. As for his betrayals, need I remind you that Xaviax tricked him the first time and then held the girl he loved hostage as a means of leverage over him. On the subject of punishment . . . there is one for the both of you for endangering innocent lives like that."

"Whatever it is, I'll accept it, Master Eubulon," Adam murmured.

"Your punishment will be to stay together for the next 72 hours to patrol for further dangers to Ventara," Eubulon replied. "You will eat together, live together, sleep together, train together, go together, and even breathe together."

"That's our punishment?" Hunt uttered in confusion.

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed. "Since your problem is that you can't get along, your punishment is to learn how. And to ensure neither of you try to walk away from this assignment, I've convinced Michelle Walsh to loan one of her agents to watch over you two."

"It's not gonna be Trent, is it?" Hunt asked. "Because, no offense, but I doubt he'd be able to stop either of us if we really put our minds to it."

"Are you insinuating that you and Adam would be willing to work together to avoid your punishment?" Eubulon inquired, a dangerous tone creeping into his voice.

"No, Master Eubulon," Hunt denied.

"All right, then," Eubulon said. "You'll be meeting her soon enough. Just one more thing: She's testing a prototype Rider Gear I just recently completed. Try not to give her too much trouble over it."

"Ok," Adam answered.

Eubulon looked at Hunt. "You may go now. There are things I wish to discuss privately with Adam."

"Yes, Master Eubulon," Hunt murmured grudgingly before leaving. With Hunt gone, Eubulon turned to Adam.

"Why did you let Hunt goad you into fighting him?"

"It's not completely his fault," Adam admitted. "He has a right to hate me. I still do."

"Adam . . . Xaviax sought you out when you were at your weakest," Eubulon said, walking closer to him. "Like he did to all the Riders he recruited. And at least you had purer motives than most of them." He sighed sadly. "I just wish you would see that you do deserve to be happy, for at least a little while in your life."

"What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"I mean that as much as I can appreciate your remorse, your habit of self-flagellating is getting quite tiresome," Eubulon stated bluntly. "We have all made mistakes. I have committed even worse crimes than you in the name of loyalty to my people, and the Kamen Riders were born precisely to give the human race the chance we never took. Part of being a Rider is the willingness to look yourself in the eye, however you've fallen short, and swear to move past it onto solid ground."

Eubulon placed his hands on Adam's shoulders. "You have a choice now, Kamen Rider Onyx. You can continue to seek self-destruction in the foolish belief that your death will earn forgiveness, or you can find solace in those that are more than willing to give it to you." A smile tugged his lips. "Like a certain Moka Akashiya . . . or Kurumu Kurono . . . or Mizore Shirayuki . . ."

"I get it," Adam answered, blushing with embarrassment.

"I'm glad that you do," Eubulon replied. "If you are still troubled, you're welcome to talk to me, or to Nolan, or to Len, or any of the other Riders. You don't need to be alone in this, because you're not."

Adam swallowed. "Thank you, Master Eubulon. That means a lot."

"Good, now go on. I think you have some summer homework to work on," Eubulon remarked with an amused smile.

Adam frowned. Of course he had summer homework. The Japanese educational system worked somewhat differently from the American, to say the least. Summer vacation wasn't after the end of the school year, only a mid-year break for the students, which meant they had homework assignments to complete. Like the others from Yokai Academy, Adam had a ton of homework to complete.

"Yes, Master Eubulon," Adam assented quietly. He bowed briefly and then turned to leave. He walked passed Nekonome-sensei, who'd come to see Eubulon.

"Adam's not been too much trouble, has he?" she asked cheerily.

"No, not at all, Shizuka-san," Eubulon replied with a smile. "How are you?"

* * *

Back in the hotel where the Newspaper Club was staying, a frustrated Kurumu was glaring at her math homework as though she wanted to burn it. "I can't take this! I don't get this at all!"

"Guess I was right," Yukari quipped. "You _are_ a boob-head."

That comment drew a hiss from the succubus, before she hung her head gloomily. The four girls had nearly forgotten about their summer homework in the midst of the excitement from the Witch's Knoll. Now that things were relatively peaceful, they would have to deal with their homework assignments.

"Adam should be here by now," Mizore mused aloud.

"You're right," Moka agreed. "Where is he?"

"Hey," Adam called from the doorway, surprising the girls.

"ADAM!" Kurumu cried, tackling him into a hug that, as usual, resulted in Adam's face nestled firmly in Kurumu's bountiful bosom. "Please help me with my homework!"

"He can't do that if you're suffocating him, boob girl," Mizore droned.

Kurumu reluctantly let go of Adam, allowing the young man to breathe deeply to regain his spent oxygen. "Sorry about that. Got into a fight."

"Was it with one of Xaviax's Riders?" Moka asked.

"No," Adam replied. "We're on the same side . . . we just don't see eye-to-eye these days."

"I bet it was that jerk Hunt!" Kurumu yelled. "Put me in a room with him and I'll make sure he never lays a finger on you again!"

"Kurumu, you have to understand . . . I hurt a lot of people with what I did," Adam replied.

"But you were tricked!" Kurumu insisted. "And that man threatened you to keep you loyal to him!"

"No excuse," Adam answered. "I left Ventara because I was too afraid to face up to what I'd done. No more. It's time I made a new start, and I think I'll do that by helping you with your homework. No need to beat up anybody for my sake."

Kurumu squealed when she heard the words "helping you with your homework," prompting a smile from Adam. "We're just glad you're all right now," Moka said.

"Indeed," Tobi commented from the doorway formerly occupied by Adam. "Guilt can be just as much a motivator for inaction as it can be for redemption. Just remember what you're aiming for."

"Yeah," Adam replied.

* * *

In the medical bay of the Riders' base, Nolan was checking on Ruby again. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah . . . thank you . . ." Ruby whispered. "Why are you still here?"

"Looking out for a fellow Rider," Nolan replied simply.

"Even after what I've done . . . ?" Ruby asked, stunned by that simple admission.

"You were tricked," Nolan stated. "And you were in pain. I'm a lot older than I look, Ruby. Many of the people I grew up with, the ones I held most dear before I became a Rider, they're long gone now. It still hurts, thinking about how much older they got, how much closer they got to death . . . and I was still the same, still untouched by time. It's a lonely feeling, Ruby."

Ruby looked at Nolan with sadness, recognizing the pain in his eyes. If this was what Riders had to live through, she found herself with a lot more respect for humans than before. They were truly special people, if they could live through that and still find the heart to defend the worlds they held so dear.

"I'm sorry," Ruby murmured.

"For what?" Nolan asked.

"For underestimating you," Ruby replied. "I always used to think that humans were selfish creatures who only cared for their own vices, but after meeting you guys . . . and Adam . . . I see that there are good humans, too."

"I'm glad," Nolan said, holding Ruby's hand. This prompted a blush from Ruby.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've never been touched by a man like that before," Ruby murmured. "It feels . . . nice."

Nolan smiled warmly at Ruby, and that smile sent pleasant shivers down Ruby's spine. With her mind's fingertips, she traced Nolan's smiling lips, and then her eyes moved to the slope of his nose, to the captivating blues of his eyes. His short-cropped brown hair, matted closely against his head, looked soft and Ruby wondered if she could touch it for a moment.

"Are you all right?" Nolan wondered, snapping Ruby out of her daze.

Ruby blushed. "I am. Just . . . thinking."

* * *

Elsewhere in the Riders' base, Chance had gathered the Riders before a whiteboard with Moka's, Kurumu's, and Mizore's names on it. Above the three names, Chance had written "Who Will Adam End Up With? Place Your Bets" as the title. Gin was at Chance's side, bouncing on the balls of his feet with barely repressed excitement.

"Ok," Chance began, "if you haven't noticed, Adam here has gained a harem of very hot and attractive girlfriends. Sure, they aren't human, but let's look past that. Now, we're all going to help Adam out and make some money out of it."

"So, what are the rules?" Cam asked.

"We meet once a week and put money into the pot," Chance explained. "We are also allowed to intervene so that Adam chooses one of the girls. Those who bet right win the money."

"Shouldn't we let Adam choose himself?" Len asked skeptically.

"Len, Len, Len . . ." Chance replied. "You've got to stop babying him. If he's man enough to fight for Ventara and Earth, he's certainly man enough to admit he likes a girl." He chuckled a moment. "Hey, wait, you and Kase could barely spit it out when you first got together. And I know from experience; if you don't make a man choose, he'll never choose."

"What's to stop any of us from telling Adam?" Kase asked.

"The fact that he'll be just as mad at you for participating as he will be at me for starting it if he finds out," Chance replied, grinning.

"I'm still not sure about this," Price said.

"Don't be a worrywart, Price," Chance answered. "Things will work out fine."

"So what about Yukari?" Ian asked.

"She's twelve!" Chance shouted. "Unless you're a lolicon."

"Just saying," Ian remarked. "Besides, she seems all lesbian for Moka."

"Again, she's twelve," Chance repeated.

"What's a lolicon?" Len asked.

"Lolicon," Gin repeated. "Short for 'Lolita complex,' which is our word for the kind of person that's attracted to young girls and for ecchi or even hentai material involving young girls."

"What the . . . ?" Looks of confusion abounded.

"You know a lot about this," Kit remarked accusingly.

"Nah, had a friend that was into that stuff," Gin denied. "Dunno what tweaked him up like that in the first place."

"Sure . . ." Kit muttered, unconvinced. "Well, I'm in. Everybody needs happiness, right?"

"That's the spirit," Chance said.

"I'm in," Price acceded, "if only to keep you from getting into too much trouble."

"Shaping another man's love life is fun!" Ian exclaimed.

"So you're obviously in," Quinn remarked.

"What about you, Quinn?" Van asked.

"I'm in, too," Quinn replied. "Not like I have much reason not to be."

"What about you guys?" Chance asked Len and Kase.

"I have to admit, this could be a lot of fun," Kase replied. "And it's not like Adam doesn't need a good woman in his life."

"Funny how a good woman was the source of it all in the first place," Hunt muttered grouchily.

"If you're gonna throw another bitch-fit, bro . . ." Chase grumbled.

Hunt just glowered at Chase, who stared back, a faceoff that only ended when Van cut in. "Hey, hey, hey. Now isn't the time for things like that. We're supposed to be cutting loose and having a little bit of fun. So I'm in. You two?"

"I'm in," Chase replied.

"I'll be spending the next three days with him, so it'll be an opportunity to get to know what sort of girl he likes," Hunt admitted sourly.

"I'm in, but I'm only doing this to help Adam," Len said. "The money's nothing."

"If you say so," Chance responded lightly.

* * *

Back in the hotel where the Newspaper Club stayed, Adam suddenly sneezed. "Are you catching a cold, Adam?" Moka wondered.

"I don't think so," Adam replied.

"They say when you sneeze for no reason, someone is talking about you behind your back," Yukari observed.

"Well, for the next three days I'm gonna have someone on my back," Adam murmured.

"Hunt, right?" Mizore asked.

"That's right." Adam nodded to her before going on. "Master Eubulon thinks we can settle our differences if we work together . . . or we may end up venting each other."

"Want me to take care of him for you?" Mizore asked.

"No," Adam replied. "We have to work this out, somehow. Fighting or venting each other isn't gonna solve a thing."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kurumu asked concernedly.

"Master Eubulon's orders," Adam replied, resignation in his voice. "Plus, if we want the Kamen Riders to be a well-oiled machine, Hunt and I have to learn to work together again." The former Dragon Knight sighed.

"Easier said than done," Tobi remarked. "Hunt doesn't seem like the kind of person who lets go of his grudges that easily."

"Yeah, well, he's gonna have to," Adam mused. "For both our sakes. Besides, the sooner we figure out how to work together, the sooner we're out of each other's hair. Hey, you wouldn't have any idea where the other Riders went, would you?"

"Nolan went back to Ruby, and other than that, I have no idea where the others are," Tobi replied.

"Somebody's in love . . ." Kurumu purred mischievously.

"It could be worse," Yukari remarked. "She could be in love with Adam."

"What's so bad about . . ." Tobi started to ask, but cut himself off in realization. "Oh." It wasn't like Adam's harem needed to get any bigger; he had enough problems from just the four girls he was with already.

"Speaking of, where's Gin?" Adam wondered.

"Probably out messing around with girls," Yukari replied dismissively.

"He does seem rather fond of the feminine form," Tobi observed.

"That's the polite way of saying he's a pervert, right?" Yukari commented.

"If you wish to take it that way," Tobi replied. "Now, who wants help with their homework?"

Next: Systems and Riders

* * *

End Notes: It's a fine mess Adam's gotten himself into. That fight with Hunt has now cost him three days of his life as he and the tiger Rider have no choice but to put up with each other. Also, what is the secret behind the prototype Rider Gear being tested by the agent who will be supervising Adam and Hunt? Furthermore, will Eubulon and Shizuka Nekonome ever get into a romantic relationship, and what about the betting ring Chance has created to "help" Adam's love life? Answers to these questions and others will be forthcoming, so long as you keep reading. Until then, let's ride!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Welcome to another edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced boldly. "I am your sensationally sexy host, Kurumu Kurono . . . and this is my less-endowed –!"

"– but much smarter co-host, Yukari Sendo!" Yukari interrupted, announcing herself at the same time. "Today, we are here to discuss a most remarkable Kamen Rider! Her name is . . . Siren!"

With the press of a button on a keyboard, the image of Kamen Rider Siren appeared on the screen behind Kurumu and Yukari. "There she is!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Now, Kamen Rider Siren is the only girl on the Ventaran Riders' side, which is totally lame! But she kicks so much ass it practically doesn't matter!"

"Look at that rapier!" Yukari shouted, pointing to the Visor on Siren's hip. "The cross-guard is where she slots her Advent Cards, and the rapier is a graceful weapon in its own right, especially in her hands. With the Blanc Visor, she can summon her very own Wing Lancer."

Another press of the button caused the image of Siren to change so that she was now brandishing a double-bladed golden naginata. "Kind of reminds me of what a samurai's wife would bring to battle," Yukari observed.

"I thought samurai's wives didn't go to battle?" Kurumu uttered.

"Shows how little history you know," Yukari replied. "Samurai's wives were expected to be able to defend themselves and yet be women of high culture, like their husbands themselves. They didn't wield swords in the traditional sense, but they often used bows and arrows or naginata so that they could maintain a ladylike distance from the carnage."

"Funny that her Wing Lancer is called a Sword Vent," Kurumu remarked.

"Yeah, but never mind that now," Yukari said.

"Wow, look at that cape!" Kurumu uttered. "It's so . . . it's so majestic!"

"Yeah, but a bit impractical," Yukari rejoined. "Who knows what it could get caught in during a fight?"

"She still has a really snappy fashion sense," Kurumu replied. "She's so cool . . . I bet all the boys really want her . . ."

"They'll just have to learn to deal with disappointment," Yukari said. "She's with Wing Knight. They make a great team . . . and a great couple."

"Yeah," Kurumu murmured.

Yukari giggled. "Sounds like you have a girl-crush!"

"My love is for Adam alone!" Kurumu yelled, snapping out of her daze.

"Face it, you don't have a chance with him," Yukari retorted. "He's mine and Moka's alone!"

"Why, you little . . . !" That was when Kase came in.

"Am I in the right place?" the beautiful blonde asked. "Oh! Kurumu and Yukari! What's this?"

"We're doing _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu replied. "You wanna join in?"

"Why not?" Kase asked.

"Oh, snap, we're out of time!" Yukari cut in. "So sorry!"

"It's all right," Kase responded, smiling softly. "How's Adam been?"

"He's doing ok," Yukari answered. "Moka and I give him plenty of love!"

". . . Ok . . ." Kase murmured.

"And I give him even more love than Miss Flat-Chest ever could!" Kurumu declared, puffing her chest out. "Look at these boobs and tell me he doesn't feel loved after that!"

Kase looked at Kurumu's voluptuous chest with a raised eyebrow. "I'm glad you're not ashamed of your body."

"Of course not!" Kurumu declared. "I have the best body of all the girls vying for Adam's heart! That's why I'll win for sure!"

"Somehow, I don't think Adam's that kind of guy," Kase remarked.

"Anyway . . . that's it for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Yukari declared. "Tune in next time for when we take on the strongest Rider of them all, Kamen Rider Wrath! Bye-bye for now, everyone!"

"Bye-bye!" Kurumu shouted, waving at the audience.


	23. Systems and Riders

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 23: "Systems and Riders"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Steve and Michael Wang, Adness Entertainment, and Ishinomori Productions. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, Shonen Jump, and VIZ Media. I make no money whatsoever from this story and am only doing this for my personal amusement and hopefully my readers' entertainment.

Author's note: Sorry for taking so long. I had to work up the will to write again, and I had a lot of other things distracting me, some of which you might have already seen on my profile. Anyway, I'm back and I'm ready to give you another exciting chapter of "Onyx and Vampire!" For the record, the prototype Rider Gear Eubulon was talking about last chapter comes from Kamen Rider 555, and those of you who've seen that series know full well what that means. More relevantly, though, will Adam and Hunt survive their partnership or will they run headlong into disaster? For the answers to those questions and others, read on!

_

* * *

_

Kamen Rider Onyx faced off against Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. "You fool," Dragon Knight sneered. "You think they'll ever trust you again?"

"_I'm not listening to you," Onyx retorted, equipping himself with an Advent Card._

STRIKE VENT.

_With the Black Drag Claw attached to his right arm, Onyx unleashed a blast of black fire from Dragblacker, only for Dragon Knight to counter with the Drag Shield. When the black fire dispersed, Dragon Knight was charging at Onyx using the Drag Shield as a battering ram. Caught by surprise, Onyx was pinned to the ground, this time by Dragon Knight's sword._

"_You think they'll love you again? You think __she'll__ ever love you again?"_

"_Shut up," Onyx snarled, punching Dragon Knight off him and pushing himself back onto his feet. Drawing his own Drag Saber, he pressed the attack on his red-armored counterpart, slashing repeatedly and viciously. Dragon Knight blocked Onyx's sword and kicked him in the side, knocking him to the ground._

"_Truth hurts, huh?" the red dragon Rider mocked._

"_Go to hell," the black dragon Rider retorted, twisting his hips to lunge back onto his feet._

"_You first," Dragon Knight answered._

FINAL VENT.

FINAL VENT.

_Dragredder contorted around Dragon Knight as the red dragon Rider prepared to initiate his finishing attack. Dragblacker coiled around Onyx as the black dragon Rider prepared his own finishing move. At the same time, Dragon Knight and Onyx jumped into the air and threw themselves into flying kicks boosted by the flames of their respective Advent Beasts, their Final Vents colliding in a massive explosion._

* * *

Adam woke up with a start, only to find a weight on his body keeping him down. He was about to struggle free, only to find Kurumu looking into his eyes. "I couldn't sleep," she whispered. "And I thought . . . I could at least help you sleep better."

Adam smiled softly. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Kurumu blushed with appreciation for her would-be boyfriend's sincere gratitude. The sweet moment, though, was interrupted by Mizore throwing an ice kunai at Kurumu's head from her perch in Adam's window, an ice kunai that Adam intercepted. "Mizore," Adam greeted. "Good morning. Kurumu wasn't going to do anything, so I don't see why you had to throw a knife at her head."

Mizore's placid expression held traces of unhappiness as she looked at Adam and Kurumu. "Why not wake you up to tell you she wanted to sleep in the same bed as you, if there was nothing untoward in her intentions?"

"I didn't want to disturb him!" Kurumu replied. "And why do I have to explain myself to you, stalker girl?" She lunged out of the bed, wings and talons extended, to attack Mizore, who merely grew ice claws over her hands with which to defend herself.

_Damn it,_ _it's too early for this, _Adam swore to himself as he leaped in between the warring succubus and snow fairy, figuring that their love for him would keep them from hurting him in their rush to get to each other. He managed to catch Kurumu by her hand and Mizore by her claws, but both of them had nicked him a little. "Stop it, ok? Fighting over me is a waste of your time!"

It was at that moment that Hunt came in. "Threesome, Adam?" he quipped acidly. He threw a black bundle at the former Dragon Knight, and both Kurumu and Mizore moved to attack the flying bundle out of concern for Adam's safety, but Adam just caught it before they did. Unfolding it a little, he recognized what it was.

"My Kamen Rider uniform," he uttered. Upon closer examination, the dragon badge on the left breast was colored black, albeit a lighter shade of black than the uniform, and shaped like the Onyx crest.

"Our punishment, remember?" Hunt remarked, also dressed in full Kamen Rider uniform. "Now hurry up and get dressed."

"You don't tell Adam what to do!" Kurumu protested vehemently, pointing her claws at Hunt, only for Adam to gently lower her arm.

"Don't worry about it, Kurumu. It's not gonna be that bad. We just have to work things out, that's all."

"Don't think I like it anymore than you do," Hunt grumbled. He glared at Kurumu and Mizore, who glared back. "And it'd be a good idea to leave him alone. You might distract him."

Kurumu huffed irately, while Mizore's stare turned colder. Adam placed a gentle hand on Mizore's arm. "It's ok, Mizore," he said to her.

"Fine," Mizore whispered. "But I won't be far."

* * *

Soon enough, Adam was dressed in his Kamen Rider uniform, albeit wearing the jacket halfway unzipped and his Advent Deck in his back pocket. He burned through his breakfast quite quickly, barely pausing to compliment Moka on her excellent cooking. Once he'd downed breakfast with a cup of orange juice, he tore out of the dining area of the hotel to find his motorcycle, only to see Hunt waiting for him on his own motorcycle.

Adam nodded to Hunt and got on his motorcycle. "How late are we?"

"Not yet we are," Hunt replied, "and if we hurry, we won't. You know how Michelle gets."

Adam and Hunt put on their helmets and revved their motorcycles before riding out of the hotel parking lot and racing toward the No-Men's headquarters. Reaching the building just in time to avoid being late, they were met by another biker, who appeared to be riding a specialized motorcycle. The three parked their motorcycles inside the part of the No-Men's headquarters set aside for the Kamen Riders' vehicles.

Adam and Hunt removed their helmets. Beside them, their escort did the same, revealing herself as a redheaded young woman. "Hi. I'm Renee. I'm your partner for this mission."

"Hi, Renee," Adam greeted.

"Kamen Rider Onyx, Kamen Rider Axe," Renee acknowledged the two Ventaran Riders before stepping off her bike to reveal a large, somewhat clunky high-tech belt around her hips. "I'm Kamen Rider Triad."

"Is that the Rider Gear you're testing for Master Eubulon?" Adam asked.

"Yes," Renee confirmed. She smiled somewhat ironically at the two Ventaran Riders. "Your reputations precede you."

"So they do," Adam murmured.

"Let's just get up there before Michelle throws a fit," Hunt grumbled with a sardonic grin on his face.

"She has been working on that," Renee admonished.

"Working on what?" Adam asked.

"Her impatience and short temper," Renee replied. "Now follow me."

The three Riders took the elevator to the control room where the No-Men monitored the world for signs of alien incursions. Sitting in front of one of the monitors was a dark-haired woman in a black business suit. She swiveled about 180 degrees in her chair to reveal that she was none other than Michelle Walsh, whose lips quirked into a small smile when she spotted the Riders.

"You made it."

"Yeah, we did," Renee responded.

"What's our mission?" Adam asked.

"I'd like to say, before I tell you, that the both of you are hotheaded idiots for having lived so long," Michelle replied. "Look, I get it. One of you has a death wish and the other one would like to grant it. I don't blame either of you. If it was up to me, Adam, you'd be spending the rest of your life in the deepest hole I could find for you, but Eubulon wants to give you a third chance – or is it a fourth chance? – so I'm forced to put up with you. What I _won't_ put up with, though, is the two of you getting us all exposed just because you want to hash it out the hard way. Am I clear?"

"Yes," Adam and Hunt responded.

"Now, onto the mission," Michelle shifted topics, sounding somewhat more amiable than she had just before. "First, we believe that Xaviax is up to his old tricks. Ever since his resurrection, people have started disappearing again. The difference is that they're not coming back as sleepwalkers; they're coming back as plain dead and in no condition for an open-casket funeral. Gray creatures have been spotted around the same areas where the disappearances took place, but I doubt they're working directly for Xaviax."

_Gray creatures?_ Adam thought, remembering the otherworldly Rider he'd met during his last days at Yokai Academy before summer break. He'd had a monster form that was almost entirely gray . . . a lot like these creatures. Out loud, "You have any idea what they are?"

"No," Michelle replied. "The difference between them and Xaviax's Mirror Monsters is that they're visible to people who haven't been exposed to the space between the mirrors that link our worlds. And they're not kidnapping people; they just seem to be killing them."

"Killing them?" Hunt repeated.

"Yeah," Michelle confirmed. "The state those bodies were left in . . . it's not something I'd like to repeat here. And the funny thing is that there are more of these creatures all the time."

"Like they're using dead humans to reproduce?" Adam surmised. "Like vampires?"

"Yeah, you'd know all about that," Hunt grumbled sourly.

Adam glared at Hunt. "Take that back."

Michelle sighed. "It's like dealing with children." She turned a harsh stare upon the pair of Ventaran Riders. "Are you two going to behave like soldiers, or are you going to behave like squabbling teenagers?"

The incipient argument between Adam and Hunt died as soon as it began upon seeing Michelle's glare. "Sorry."

Michelle pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to maintain her composure. "Anyway, from Eubulon's reports, a lot of those same creatures have been seen in Ventara as well, which is why I called you two in."

"What about Trent and Chris?" Adam asked.

"They're pursuing their own targets right now," Michelle replied. "The Immortals."

"Immortals?" Adam repeated.

"Undying abominations representing Ventara's and Earth's species that fought over whose championed species would be allowed to dominate both worlds," Michelle answered. "The Immortal Human won."

"Score one for the human race," Renee quipped with a slight grin.

"Where do we go?" Hunt asked. "Ventara or Earth?"

"Some of the other Riders are investigating in Ventara right now," Michelle replied. "You, Adam, and Renee can stay here on Earth." She turned back to the monitor and pointed at a specific location on the digital map. "The nexus for all these disappearances and killings seems to be in Northern California."

"The Witch's Knoll," Adam murmured in remembrance.

"Speaking of, there've been a lot of environmentalists protesting that developer's plans to turn it into a dump site," Michelle remarked. "Tell your friend Ruby about that when you see her. It might make her feel better."

Adam smiled. "Thanks." He looked at Hunt and Renee. "You guys ready to go?"

"Yeah," Hunt replied. "I'll even knock it down to 75% so I don't make you look bad."

Adam snorted. "Yeah, thanks."

* * *

Back in the hotel where the Newspaper Club was staying, and which the Ventaran Riders had made their Earth base, a concerned Moka was looking at Eubulon, unsure of how to ask her question. Eubulon looked back at her and smiled. "There's no need to be afraid, Moka. You can say whatever's on your mind."

"Why send Adam and Hunt to work together?" she asked.

"To teach them to work together and put their differences aside for the greater good," Eubulon replied. "As a great man once said, 'We must learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.'"

"I guess," Moka murmured uncertainly.

Eubulon placed a comforting hand on Moka's shoulder. "Don't worry. Adam will be fine."

Moka smiled. "Thank you, Master Eubulon."

* * *

Elsewhere in the hotel, Tobi was getting to know the other Ventaran Riders, at least the ones that had stayed back on Earth. "So . . . who wants to run a bet on how long it takes for Adam and Hunt to go for each other's throats again?" Chance asked sardonically.

"This again?" Price asked.

"Do you have no faith in your friends?" Tobi asked.

"I do, I do – it's just more fun this way," Chance replied with an impish grin.

"You have a strange idea of fun," Tobi remarked stoically.

"Ever since Xaviax came back . . . well, it's the closest I can manage," Chance admitted in an unusually somber tone. "I don't want to go back to the Advent Void. This is my way of not thinking about it."

Price placed a comforting hand on Chance's back. "It's ok. You're not gonna go back to the Advent Void. I'll make sure of it."

Chance regained his sardonic smirk, but there was a hint of sincere appreciation behind it. "Thanks, Price."

"You're welcome," Price answered with a warm smile.

"Not that this is something I approve of, but how many have placed their bets on the girl Adam ends up with?" Tobi inquired, changing the subject.

"Pretty much everyone except Master Eubulon," Chance answered.

"Does he know?" Tobi asked.

"No," Chance replied. "Are you gonna tell him?"

"Not right now," Tobi admitted. "But if this gets out of hand, I will."

Chance smiled. "It won't, but thanks for being concerned."

"Where's everyone else?" Tobi asked.

"Len, Kase, and Kit are patrolling Ventara for those gray creatures that have been popping up all over the place as of late," Chance explained. "The others are staying back at the base to monitor the situation . . . and Nolan's with Ruby. I think the guy's really got it bad for her."

"What does she think of him?" Tobi wondered.

"She's attracted to him, that much I know," Price replied. "I just hope they tell each other sooner than it took Kase and Len to tell each other . . . and sooner than it's taking Adam to tell any of those girls how he feels."

"He seems to have his heart set on Moka . . . but he won't tell the others for fear of hurting them," Tobi observed.

"He'll have to tell them who he really wants sooner or later," Chance remarked. "That's what this whole thing's about."

"Yeah . . ." Tobi acknowledged.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adam, Hunt, and Renee rode through Northern California searching for whatever creatures Xaviax might send to capture and kill innocent people. As they rode, Adam and Hunt suddenly heard the familiar ringing that served as their warning of another incursion from beyond the mirrors. The two Ventaran Riders looked to Renee, who merely nodded at them, her expression invisible behind the visor of her helmet.

To their surprise, another Kamen Rider – this one looking to be of Ventaran design – leaped out of a mirrored window on what looked like a heavily modified Fireblade motorcycle. This Rider was colored magenta and his armor vaguely resembled Kamen Rider Sting, only it seemed to be modeled after a firebird instead of a stingray. Another difference was that this Rider had a broadsword on his back, the guard of which looked like it also served as this Rider's Visor.

Hunt and Renee looked confused, while Adam merely stared at this new Rider in horrified recognition. "Kuyo . . ."

"Surprised to see me?" Kuyo, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Haze of Earth, sneered as he got off his motorcycle.

"What are you doing working with Xaviax?" Adam yelled, throwing off his helmet as black humanoid dragonflies flew out to flank Kuyo.

"Revenge," Kuyo replied. "You inferior humans deserve to die . . . and I'm going to make sure it happens – starting with _you._"

Hunt and Renee threw off their helmets and got off their motorcycles with Adam. Adam and Hunt thrust their Advent Decks out to summon their Advent Belts in bursts of black and blue electricity that traveled down their arms to their waists to form said belts. Renee pulled out something that looked equal parts gun handle and walkie-talkie and held it up to the side of her face.

"Kamen Rider," she whispered.

"_STANDING BY,"_ an automated voice spoke before Renee inserted the strange device into the holster attached to her belt. _"COMPLETE."_

Electric blue lines of energy spread out from the belt, forming a vaguely humanoid shape around Renee. Those lines hardened into solid black armor with those same electric blue, now almost white, lines running throughout its body. Notably enough, her armor was just bulky enough that she could have been mistaken for a man from afar. Her face was concealed by a red-eyed black helmet with an inset triangle between those eyes and insect-like antennae extending from it, and a similar triangle could be seen on her armor's breastplate.

"And who might you be?" Kuyo asked.

"Kamen Rider Triad," Renee replied with a smirk beneath her helmet.

As she stepped forward, Adam and Hunt had completed their own Rider transformations and were ready to do battle as well.

_SWORD VENT._

_STRIKE VENT._

Dragblacker passed the black Drag Saber to Onyx, while Destwilder passed the Dest Claws to Axe. Delta merely shifted into a fighting stance, as did Onyx and Axe once they'd equipped their weapons. In front of them, Haze drew his Visor sword from behind his back and turned to the black dragonfly monsters.

"You take the woman and Axe. Onyx belongs to me."

* * *

Back at the hotel, the Yokai Academy girls were bored out of their minds. Without Adam, they had nothing to do with their time. Mizore had nobody to stalk, Kurumu had nobody to fondle her, and Moka was starting to crave for Adam's blood, having only been able to keep her hunger at bay with tomato juice. Yukari wasn't present with the older girls as she'd gone to visit Ruby, the only other witch in the base.

Kurumu sighed. "I miss Adam."

"I hate to agree with you, but I feel the same way," said Mizore. She'd made a small ice figurine of Adam, but it just wasn't the same.

"You know," Moka suggested, "it wouldn't hurt if we went and talked with some of the other Riders."

"Aren't they all on missions?" Mizore inquired.

"Yeah, but I bet there are still a few on base," Moka persisted.

"This sucks. I mean, Adam's with a guy who wants to vent him and we're here doing nothing," Kurumu lamented.

"Maybe we could have Eubulon make us Riders," Mizore mused out loud.

"Maybe . . ." Kurumu agreed. She tried to imagine herself in Kamen Rider armor, styled after a bat, of course – sort of like Wing Knight, but more feminine and colored dark purple. She imagined herself wielding a deadly rapier as her Visor, slicing through any and all of Xaviax's monsters with Kamen Rider Onyx by her side. "We'd be like Len and Kase – the ultimate Rider duo!"

"Don't get too carried away," Mizore murmured dangerously. "Adam is mine."

That was when Chance, Price, and Tobi wandered in. "So, what are you lovely ladies doing all by yourselves?" Chance asked suavely.

Moka blushed, while Kurumu just smiled at him and Mizore gazed impassively. "Looking for something to do," Mizore replied stoically.

"Hmm, you could hang with us for a bit," Chance offered. He looked at Price and Tobi, then back at the girls. "Would you like that?"

"Sounds good," Kurumu said. "I'm hoping you guys know someplace here that's good to unwind at."

"Well, I heard of this cool little club downtown," Chance suggested.

"And you've been going there to practice your pickup lines," Price added coolly.

"What can I say?" Chance asked rhetorically. He grinned at Kurumu. "You can take Adam there sometime. Show him some moves."

Kurumu blushed at the thought of just what kind of moves she could show Adam. (She was rather flexible, being a succubus and all. . . .) Beside her, Mizore was glaring daggers at Chance for his suggestion, while Chance held up his hands in a half-conciliatory, half-defensive position.

"It was just a suggestion," he said neutrally. "Not like I meant to step on your toes."

Tobi stared Mizore down. "Calm yourself. As much as I respect your love for Adam, please respect that there are others that love him, too."

Mizore cooled down a little, or at least was no longer willing to press the issue. Tobi might have been a far nicer guy than Kuyo, but their resemblance made him quite terrifying to look at once he got into a certain mood. She had the feeling he was quite conscious of how unsettling he was to them, even if he did regret that.

"We've got trouble," Eubulon called.

"What kind of trouble, Master?" Price asked.

"Adam, Hunt, and Kamen Rider Triad have been caught in a fight with two of Xaviax's Riders and a slew of Mirror Monsters enhanced with the same evil force that brought him back," Eubulon replied. "I'll stay here and monitor the situation, but you'll have to go out there and help them."

"All right," Chance said. He looked at Tobi. "You gonna be all right? I know you don't . . ."

Tobi removed a bronze case from his back pocket, revealing that it was an Advent Deck with the symbol of the gryphon. "Master Eubulon equipped me with a replacement, especially since I get the feeling one of those Riders confronting our friends is my counterpart."

"Kuyo with an Advent Deck?" Kurumu uttered. "That's bad."

"Very, if his reputation is anything to go by," Tobi agreed.

* * *

Back in the room where Ruby was recovering, Nolan squeezed her hand gently. "I have to go now. Adam and Hunt are in danger."

"Take me with you," Ruby whispered.

"Are you sure?" Nolan asked.

"I'm going, too!" Yukari declared.

Nolan smiled. "You care about him a lot, don't you?"

"He saved me," Ruby responded simply.

"And he saved me," Yukari added.

"Then let's go," Nolan encouraged, passing Ruby a silver case with a black raven symbol – the Noir Advent Deck.

* * *

Elsewhere, Onyx and Haze were engaged in a swordfight, their blades clashing against each other as both opponents attempted to find an opening in each other's defenses. Around them, Axe and Triad took on the dragonfly Mirror Monsters, only for another Rider to lunge out of reflective glass on his own shark-designed motorcycle. As the motorcycle might have indicated, it was Kamen Rider Depth Charge.

_STRIKE VENT._

The Abyss Claw attached itself to Depth Charge's right arm and he used it to send a wave of water at the three Riders. Haze jumped out of the way, igniting his sword with his pyrokinetic abilities and coming down to slash brutally at Onyx, who tumbled to the ground. Onyx rolled into a crouch and slotted another Advent Card.

_STRIKE VENT._

Equipping the black Drag Claw onto his right arm, Onyx thrust it forward as Dragblacker attacked Haze with a burst of black flame. Haze staggered from the force of the fire attack, but as his element was fire, it wasn't quite enough to take him down. That was when Onyx charged through the smoke to punch Haze in his masked face, knocking him to the ground.

"You might want to take off that armor," he taunted. "It belongs to someone better than you."

"And who would that be?" Haze sneered as he got up.

Axe slashed at Depth Charge with his Dest Claws, only for Depth Charge to block with his Abyss Saber and kick Axe in the stomach, forcing the tiger Rider back. The shark Rider pressed his advantage, slashing at Axe again and again until he was interrupted by a vicious kick from Triad. Felled momentarily by Triad's kick, Depth Charge staggered to regain his balance, but Triad was on him with a series of brutal punches and kicks. In fact, if she went on long enough, even with Depth Charge's armor, she'd probably kill him – and it seemed like that was what she intended to do, beat him to death with her bare hands.

"Stop . . . stop . . . please!" Depth Charge pleaded pathetically, unable to take the power of her blows any longer. He attempted to power down his armor to save himself, but Triad grabbed him by the throat with one hand while using the other hand to draw a gun with a camcorder-like barrel and point it at his stomach.

"See you in hell," she hissed and fired, sending a cone-like arrow of bluish-white energy through him, leaving him trapped.

_EXCEED CHARGE._

Kamen Rider Triad charged at the helpless Kamen Rider Depth Charge, stopping midway to somersault into the air and land a brutal axe kick that passed right through him thanks to the energy cone trapping him. When she landed behind him, it was in a crouch, and the Triad symbol – an equilateral triangle – emerged in front of Depth Charge as the power of her Rider Kick tore him apart from the inside. Depth Charge fell to the ground, his Rider armor disengaging almost automatically so badly he was injured.

"You . . . you bitch . . ." the now-powerless Depth Charge snarled, struggling to his feet even as he coughed up blood. He picked up his Advent Deck, ready to transform again and fight, but Triad was faster and squeezed his wrist painfully, forcing him to drop his deck.

"Renee!" Eubulon's voice called out as he emerged from another mirrored surface in full armor. "He's already defeated! You don't need to go further!"

Triad let go of the unarmored Depth Charge, but kicked his Advent Deck into the mirror, sending it through. "Don't try anything," she whispered threateningly.

_SWORD VENT._

Kamen Rider Wrath tore through the black dragonfly monsters with his dual Gold Sabers, using his speed and strength to overwhelm them. Kamen Rider Noir slashed through those same Mirror Monsters with her own Shadow Lancer, which she'd split into twin swords similar to Kamen Rider Wrath. Kamen Rider Strike was slashing through those monsters with his Veno Saber . . . and then he looked at the fight between Onyx and Haze, which was still going strong.

Eubulon had spotted it, too, and he looked at Axe and Triad. "I suggest you give Adam a hand. I'll deal with Depth Charge."

"All right," Triad assented.

Axe turned around. "I think he's getting plenty of help already."

Indeed, Kurumu and Mizore were fighting their way through the dragonfly monsters to reach Onyx. As Kurumu was fully capable of flight with her wings, it enabled her to fight the monsters on an even playing field, while Mizore was using her ice powers to deal with the monsters on the ground. Moka stayed near Yukari, who was flinging magically sharpened tarot cards at the monsters to slice them apart.

At that moment, a gold-armored Kamen Rider emerged with a golden sword in his hand. His face was concealed by a golden mask styled to resemble a gryphon's jaws framing his face, and he wore a golden breastplate that resembled a pair of outstretched wings. Underneath the gold armor was a black suit that provided basic protection for his body where his greaves, gauntlets, breastplate, and mask could not.

Everyone looked at the new Rider in confusion, with the exception of Eubulon, who did not seem surprised in the slightest. Instead, he merely nodded at the new Rider. "Kamen Rider Lacuna," he spoke this Rider's name.

"Yes, Master Eubulon," Kamen Rider Lacuna answered, and in a blur of gold, he slashed Haze, who rolled back in shock.

"You . . . you must be my counterpart from Onyx's world," Kamen Rider Haze snarled.

"And you're my counterpart from this one," Kamen Rider Lacuna answered. "You are a disgrace to that armor and to the name 'Kamen Rider.'"

Haze ignited his sword once again and slashed at Lacuna, who blocked the burning sword with his own. At the same time, Onyx saw Kamen Rider Torque bravely keeping the dragonfly monsters away from Moka with shots from his Magna Visor. He looked at Lacuna. "You sure you can handle him?"

"I'm sure," Lacuna replied.

"Thanks," Onyx responded and got on his motorcycle, which morphed into the dragon-styled Onyx Cycle as he rode toward Moka, slashing through dragonfly monsters as he passed. When he stopped by her, Torque nodded to him with a smirk beneath his mask.

"I've been keeping an eye on her for you," the gunslinger Rider remarked.

"Thanks," Onyx replied, "but I think she wants in on this." He reached out to Moka and removed her rosary cross, unleashing her true vampire self.

"Whoa . . ." Torque uttered. Seeing the transformation up close, he wondered just why exactly Adam was so scared to let her know how he felt. Ice queen she might have looked, with that white hair, pale skin, and cold red eyes . . . but she couldn't be that bad, could she?

"Thank you for protecting my other self," Inner Moka acknowledged Torque. Without another word, she walked away from him – and began kicking dragonfly monsters out of her way, each vicious kick dispatching each monster it struck.

"Whoa," Torque repeated. He looked at Onyx. "Your girl is badass. Marry her, will you?"

Onyx grunted and rode back into the fight, spinning on his bike's front wheel to strike the monsters with the back wheel. At one point, he flipped off his motorcycle, slotting a special Advent Card that'd put an end to this.

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker coiled around the aerial Onyx just before breathing out black flames that pushed the dark Rider into a flying kick. Upon contact, the Dark Dragon Rider Kick annihilated about a half dozen of the Mirror Monsters.

_FINAL VENT._

Torque had summoned Magnugiga and he was plugging his Visor into the cybernetic minotaur's back. "You guys might want to get out of the way," he warned.

Kurumu and Mizore spotted Torque preparing his Final Vent and Kurumu picked up Mizore to carry her out of the way. The Riders scattered as far as they could, with Noir summoning her Strike Vent's wings to carry Yukari and Inner Moka out of the way. At that moment, Torque opened fire with his Final Vent – unleashing a monstrous barrage of missiles, lasers, and bullets to kill the Mirror Monsters in their path.

From her aerial vantage point, Noir stared down at the fiery tableau in astonishment. "Is that . . . what he can do with his full power?"

"Yeah," Wrath replied. "It's something that takes a little getting used to."

The Riders and Yokai Academy girls came back together. "What happened to Kuyo?" Onyx asked.

"He escaped through a mirror," Lacuna replied somberly.

"What about Depth Charge?" Delta asked.

"In a healing trance back at base," Eubulon replied. "When he wakes, he'll either tell us what we need to know or we'll find a way to make him useless to Xaviax."

"How useless is useless?" Mizore asked stoically.

"Useless enough, I hope," Triad murmured morbidly. Eubulon gave her a warning stare, and she nodded in acquiescence. "I am sorry, Master Eubulon. I let my temper get the best of me."

"Nevertheless, you did help us take down one of Xaviax's soldiers," Eubulon acknowledged.

"I'm still surprised that's a girl inside that suit," Torque commented.

Triad looked at Torque. "This 'girl' could kick your ass, Rider or not."

"Anytime, babe," Torque countered amiably. "I'm always available."

Strike placed a hand on Torque's armored shoulder. "Now is not the best time to be flirting," he admonished his longtime comrade and friend.

"We'll rendezvous with Michelle Walsh and then return to base," Eubulon instructed.

"Our Earth base or our Ventaran base?" Wrath inquired.

"We'll split time between them," Eubulon answered. "Adam, Hunt, Renee, and I will report with Kit, Len, and Kase at the Earth base. The rest of you can regroup at our Ventaran base, and I'll join you later."

Kurumu looked at Onyx and Axe uneasily, but Onyx looked at her and nodded. "I'll be ok, Kurumu."

"You have something of mine," Inner Moka said as she walked over to Onyx, who held out the hand that contained her rosary cross. Inner Moka took the cross from Onyx, although her hand lingered in Onyx's for a moment before she removed it and linked the cross back onto its chain. She fell forward, her hair brightening to pink, her skin taking on slightly more color, and her eyes shifting from hard ruby to warm emerald. Onyx caught her before she could land on the ground.

"Adam?" she murmured softly as she looked up into his masked face.

"Yeah," Onyx whispered. He disengaged his armor, as did the other Kamen Riders. Triad had a slightly different method of disengaging her armor than the Ventaran Riders; she merely removed her Rider Belt from around her waist and the armor dissolved, revealing Renee – who looked just a little less imposing without it. She placed the belt in a special pack mounted on the side of her bike and got on said motorcycle.

The other Riders got on their motorcycles, with Nolan sharing his with Ruby. The Yokai Academy girls looked at the Riders. "So what do we do?" Kurumu asked.

Eubulon looked at them. "Yukari will come with me, and the rest of you will go with Chance, Price, and Tobi. Will that be a problem?"

"Um, no . . ." Kurumu conceded.

Chance shared his motorcycle with Kurumu, while Price shared his with Mizore, and Tobi shared his with Moka. Yukari got on Eubulon's motorcycle with him, positioned in such a way that her smaller frame would be well secured on the bike. With that, they all rode away to their designated destinations . . . while Xaviax watched them from behind a mirror.

* * *

Xaviax turned to JTC, who had his hands in his pockets. "They have Jason."

"They won't do anything to him," JTC answered. "They're goody-two-shoes like that."

"Even if they don't make him talk . . ." Xaviax drifted off, picking up the Depth Charge Advent Deck. "I want you to take this back to him and get him out before they can do anything else with him. Your DNA is identical to Strike's so you won't have that much trouble getting in so long as you're careful."

"From what I heard, they have some of Eubulon's Riders guarding that base," JTC remarked cautiously.

"Haven't you ever heard of a diversion?" Xaviax asked irritably. With a gesture, three Kamen Riders stepped out of the portal in Xaviax's new base.

The first was garbed in magenta and modeled after a firebird with a sword on his back. Another was garbed in dark gray armor modeled after a grasshopper, with the shoulder pieces resembling a grasshopper's wings and the helmet having fins between the "eyes" of the grilled visor similar to a grasshopper's antennae. The third was more feminine in appearance, with the armor colored scarlet and the helmet resembling a longhorn beetle.

"Say hello to Haze, Impact, and Ricochet," Xaviax introduced the new Riders, "and the best part? They've got power to spare even without their decks." He turned to JTC. "That's your diversion. Make the most of it."

Next: Striking Dragons

* * *

End Notes: There you have it, another chapter of "Onyx and Vampire" is complete. I'm sorry I took so long with this; I was distracted by other stories and by my own life. Alas, I have returned, and I have another Kamen Rider crossover for you to look forward to, this one using KR Double and Naruto! Check it out whenever you get the chance and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, this vacation isn't turning out nearly as good as Adam and the girls thought it was going to be. Instead of a peaceful trip away from the Academy, they've been embroiled within Xaviax's schemes along with the other Riders of Ventara and Earth. Kamen Rider Triad is a powerful ally, but is she a reliable ally, or is there something pushing her closer to the edge?

What about those strange gray creatures that have been roaming out there? Do they have a connection to Xaviax, or are they a terrifying force of their own? Tobi is a Kamen Rider once more, but how will he fare against the more ruthless Kuyo, who has usurped him as Kamen Rider Haze? And finally, what's going on with Adam's nightmare visions of Kamen Rider Dragon Knight? Is Xaviax attempting to sink his claws into Adam once again, or is it something even worse? For the answers to all those questions, you'll just have to hang on for the next chapter. Until then, let's ride!

**

* * *

**

Rider Fashion Check!

Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo  
Special guest: Ruby Toujou

"And welcome to another edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu declared, sitting in front of a reflective desk. "I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much smarter partner, Yukari Sendo!" Yukari added from behind Kurumu.

"Hey, watch it, brat!" Kurumu warned, swiping her hand at Yukari, who dodged it with a giggle.

"Today, we're here to discuss one of the finest Kamen Riders of Ventara . . . Kamen Rider Wrath!" the young witch declared, hitting a button so that the image of Kamen Rider Wrath showed itself on the large screen behind her and Kurumu.

"Oh, yes – Kamen Rider Wrath, the first and strongest of the Kamen Riders!" Kurumu declared. "Just look at this!"

She pressed another button, and the image shifted to show Kamen Rider Wrath in action, grinding the edges of his twin swords together as a taunt to Kamen Rider Wing Knight, who had used _Trick Vent_ to duplicate himself. "Um, isn't that Xaviax?" Yukari asked.

"What do you mean?" Kurumu asked. Then she remembered. "Hey, wait, how did he get Wrath's Advent Deck? I thought it'd only work for someone with the same DNA!"

"Nolan's counterpart, a guy named Vic Frasier who was working construction until he ended up in a coma, was possessed by Xaviax," Yukari explained, "so he could use Wrath's powers against Kit, Len, and Kase." She froze the video so she could point to Wrath's swords. "See these swords? They're his _Sword Vent,_ and the strongest _Sword Vent_ in any Rider's arsenal . . . at least without going into Survive Mode."

"So he's got two swords," Kurumu remarked. "So?"

"Two swords are even more effective than one if you know how to use them," Yukari explained. "With two swords, you can adequately defend and attack on both sides instead of having to work harder to guard one side. Of course, there's a lot of coordination involved, so it's only for the truly skilled."

"What about this?" Kurumu asked, pressing another button to restart the video. This time, it was showing Kamen Rider Wrath teleporting all around Wing Knight, evading and countering each time the bat Rider tried to attack him.

"That's his special ability," Yukari replied. "It looks like teleportation, but he's really just moving faster than human – and sometimes nonhuman – eyes can detect, and the feathers obscure his path."

"Like those magic samurai with the transforming swords?" Kurumu wondered.

"Yes, like them," Yukari replied. "And as a show of how strong he is, he can even take on two Riders in Survive Mode without being in Survive Mode himself!" She pressed another button, this time shifting the video to footage of Wrath's fight with Kamen Riders Wing Knight and Dragon Knight when the two had activated their Survive Modes to finish him off. Even with Survive Mode, it was quite obvious that Wrath had the upper hand.

"Wow . . ." Kurumu uttered. "I'd hate to fight him."

"He's actually quite a nice guy," Ruby remarked as she came in. "Nolan, I mean. Vic sounds like an ok guy, too; it's just that Xaviax was using his body, like you said."

"How did you feel about waking up in his arms?" Kurumu asked. "I bet it was romantic!"

Ruby blushed. "It was . . ."

"Have you told him how you feel?" Yukari asked.

"That's just it," Ruby admitted. "I don't know how I feel. I'm grateful to him for saving my life, but is that all I feel for him . . . or is it . . . ?"

"That's ok, Ruby," Kurumu said. "I'm perfectly willing to help you get your man!"

Ruby looked at Kurumu almost cross-eyed. "And have you had any luck getting your own man?"

Kurumu huffed, while Yukari laughed. "She can't get her own man, so she has to try to steal mine and Moka's! It won't work, though! It's us he wants!"

Kurumu scowled at Yukari, only to get a basin dropped on her head, much to Yukari's great amusement. Ruby just stared at them. "Um, are we going to keep talking about Wrath, or is this going to be about your love lives?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kurumu cheered up. "He looks very majestic in that armor, by the way. What kind of creature is it based on?"

"A phoenix, a legendary bird that immolated itself at the end of its life and rose from the ashes to begin its next life," Yukari explained. "And check out that staff he uses as a Visor! It's like a king's scepter!"

Ruby blushed. "King . . ."

Yukari caught her sister witch's blush. "Wow, what's she thinking?"

"Probably about getting Wrath in bed and calling him 'Master,'" Kurumu guessed.

"How did you know?" Ruby asked.

"And look at all that gold in his armor!" Yukari interrupted. "I think it's the most beautiful of the Kamen Rider armors!"

Ruby blushed again. "It sure is . . ."

"And that's enough for now!" Kurumu interjected. "Have to stop this before it becomes a total drool-fest!"

"You hypocrite!" Yukari yelled. "You're always slobbering over _my_ Adam!"

"He's _mine!_" Kurumu shouted back. As the succubus and young witch began to bicker, Ruby stepped to the forefront.

"And that will be all for today's _**Rider Fashion Check!**_ Stay tuned for next time, when we take on the most agile fighter of the Riders, Kamen Rider Camo! Until then, this is Ruby Toujou . . ."

"And Kurumu Kurono!" Kurumu interjected, just before being pushed out of the way by Yukari.

"_And_ Yukari Sendo, signing out!" Yukari finished.


	24. Striking Dragons

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 24: "Striking Dragons"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and other Kamen Rider series "adapted" in this story belong to Ishinomori Productions, along with Adness Entertainment, Steve and Michael Wang, and Toei. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, Shonen Jump, and VIZ Media. I make no money whatsoever from the use of the properties above or their related characters in this story; this is solely for fun.

Author's note: Well, since I got such a positive response to last chapter, I'm going to strike it big in this one. I promise you nothing that I can't deliver, and I am going to deliver big-time action, laughs, tears, and romance . . . as well as set the stage for further plots. The Newspaper Club will be returning to Yokai Academy soon enough, but for the moment . . . let's ride.

* * *

"Good work, Renee," Michelle Walsh greeted her. "Now that we have one of them in custody, we can get some answers."

Renee merely nodded, as Michelle turned to Adam, Kit, Hunt, Len, Kase, and Eubulon. "You can report."

"We ran into another one of Xaviax's Riders," Eubulon explained. "He and Adam have history, apparently."

"Joy," Michelle deadpanned.

"The good news is that Depth Charge is contained in our base on Ventara," Len added. "Wrath and the others are keeping watch over him."

"What do you have to report, Len?" Michelle asked.

"We were on patrol when we found these gray creatures feeding off people," Len replied. "We went to stop them, but by then they were already dead, and the creatures' attention was on us. Kit, Kase, and I armored up to fight them, but they were strong . . . fast, too. We used our Final Vents, but as banged up as they were, they were still alive, alive enough to run away."

"That's why I created the Triad Gear," Eubulon confessed. "To fight those creatures."

"What are they?" Kit asked.

"They call themselves Orphans," Eubulon explained. "Orphaned from humanity, that is. There is a strain of evolution at work here, one that transforms humans into beings of superior speed and strength, with the caveat that they have to die first. The reason you were seeing more of them after all those mysterious disappearances? They were recruiting, transforming the humans they kidnapped and murdered into creatures like them."

"How do you know all this?" Michelle asked.

"I've been in contact with a scientific organization called Smart Brain," Eubulon replied. "They've been studying the recent invaders, like the Immortals and now the Orphans, and it was with their help that I devised the Rider equipment to deal with them specifically."

"So, you've been creating Kamen Riders to deal with specific threats," Adam concluded. "Our Advent Decks for Xaviax, the Rouse Systems for the Immortals, and now the Rider Gears for these Orphans?"

"Yes," Eubulon confessed. "Not all threats can be handled with the same tools, Adam. I needed a little more versatility . . . as well as a means of maintaining Earth's safety in the event we're not available."

"Smart Brain?" Trent asked. "I've heard of those guys. They're scary big brains over there."

"Trent, Chris," Eubulon greeted.

"Hello, Trent," Renee greeted.

"What do you two have to report?" Michelle asked.

"Sealed another Immortal," Chris replied. "We had help, though."

"Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice, I take it," Michelle surmised.

"Yeah, that'd be him," Trent admitted. "Him of the 'no thanks, I don't need your company, my trusty mechanical steed of justice is all I need' 'tude. You'd think he was Batman or something."

"So he isn't talking about where he came from, how he got his Rouse System, or what he wants," Michelle groused.

"Don't consider him an enemy, Michelle," Eubulon advised, "because so far everything he's done has indicated that he isn't. What he is, though, is something even I don't know."

"Never thought I'd hear that from you," Michelle remarked.

"I may be the wise mentor, but there are things that escape even my experience," Eubulon admitted with a sardonic chuckle.

"So what do we do now?" Hunt asked. "We have Depth Charge. Why don't we make him talk, tell us what Xaviax is planning and what he wants?"

"That's an idea," Eubulon replied. "Guard the fort in case Xaviax tries another attack here." He disappeared into a mirror.

"Not unless Adam led him to us," Hunt grumbled.

"Why do you think I would do that?" Adam asked angrily.

"Because you did it once," Hunt retorted. "And you had him in your head for God only knows how long. Hard to imagine he didn't do more than just try to make you go insane . . ."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Adam snapped.

"You were given a duty, same as the other eleven of us!" Hunt yelled. "And you walked out on it, betrayed us all, because you couldn't hack it anymore!"

"What do you want me to say?" Adam asked. "That I regret it, that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't wish I could take it back? You had it easy! You had no one but you and your brother to look after! I left my entire family behind! And each time I saw them again after I became a Rider, they were 12 years older than the last time I saw them! All I could see was snapshots! I was like a stranger to them, because I spent so much time fighting!" He was on the verge of tears, but he held himself in check. "You . . . you don't understand what it's like to lose all those ties, to be nothing but a ghost when you're still alive . . ."

"Why didn't you talk to us?" Kase asked softly, awestruck by just how much pain Adam had been holding in.

"When were you around to talk to?" Adam retorted sadly. "Each of us did one year out while everyone else was in cryo, and it wasn't like I could just say I wanted out in the middle of an emergency, which were the only times we were all together . . . and then, back to the old routine . . ." He smiled bitterly.

"Not that I'm not enjoying the impromptu therapy session . . . but we have other things to worry about," Michelle cut in.

"Yeah, we do," Adam whispered darkly, and Len could swear he saw Adam's eyes turn vampire red for a single microsecond.

"Is that why you made Tobi a Rider?" Len asked. "So you'd have somebody to talk to?"

"Yeah," Adam admitted ruefully. "It was selfish. It was wrong."

"God, you're pathetic, you know that?" Hunt grumbled. "I don't even know why Eubulon let you join us in the first place."

Adam was about to attack Hunt, only for Chris to cut between them. "That's enough. We don't need this right now."

"I knew there was a reason we kept a psychotherapist on standby," Michelle muttered.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea . . . after all this is over," Kit agreed reluctantly.

* * *

Within the Ventaran Riders' base, JTC had sneaked in via being an exact genetic and physical match for Price. Now he was looking for Jason, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Depth Charge, hoping against hope that the punk hadn't talked yet. It'd save him the trouble of having to vent the kid if he hadn't.

As he looked for Jason, Jason was being interrogated by Eubulon and senior Kamen Rider Nolan. "Kamen Rider Depth Charge, what did Xaviax recruit you for?"

"Because I'm good at what I do," Jason replied smugly.

"And what is it you do?" Eubulon asked.

"I'm his trash man," Jason answered. "Anybody he needs taken out, he leaves them to me."

"Trash man?" Nolan repeated. "That sounds like a mob euphemism to describe a contract killer."

"Yeah, that's me," Jason admitted.

"Why serve Xaviax?" Nolan asked.

"Other than the payday, I'm just in it to find interesting people to kill," Jason replied nonchalantly.

"What is Xaviax planning?" Eubulon inquired.

"Not telling you," Jason answered.

"You're tied down and you're recovering from that beating Triad gave you," Nolan observed. "You have no reason to be as cocky as you're acting."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jason mocked.

"What does he want?" Eubulon interrogated.

"I'll tell you . . . if you let me out to get something worth eating," Jason taunted.

"You'll be fed intravenously," Eubulon answered. "We don't trust you not to try to escape."

"You mean you don't trust yourselves to be able to stop me," Jason sneered.

"You are deluded if you think that highly of yourself," Nolan remarked stoically.

* * *

Inside the observation chamber, Van glared at Jason. "What an arrogant bastard."

"Sounds a lot like someone else I know," Chance quipped.

"Go suck a rotten egg," Van retorted.

"Is Cam still fixing up the bikes?" Chance asked.

"Yeah, why?" Van asked.

"Because Mizore's with him," Chance replied.

"Good, maybe she'll stop fixating on Adam," Van answered. "That obsession she's got going for him isn't exactly healthy."

"She's a snow girl in love," Chance remarked. "What's normal about that?"

"Whatever," Van responded. "Don't blame me when we have to save him."

At that moment, the alarm went off. "All Riders on call!" Van shouted into the intercom. "We have intruders! Enemy Kamen Riders!"

The screens were taken up by images of the three infiltrating Riders, one being Haze, another resembling a red longhorn beetle, and the third looking like a gunmetal gray grasshopper. "Damn it," Chance muttered.

"Kamen Rider!"

"Kamen Rider!"

Inside the Riders' garage, Cam straightened up from the motorcycle he'd been modifying. "We're under attack."

"Enemy Riders," Mizore murmured. "I heard."

"Kamen Rider!" Cam shouted as he locked his Advent Deck into the Advent Belt. It whirred within the buckle slot, generating silver energy that formed into a spherical barrier surrounding him as his heavy metal rhino-styled armor formed on his body. Beside him, Mizore's hands iced over as long, deadly blades grew from them. "Let's go."

* * *

Elsewhere within the base, Price, Quinn, and Ian were hanging out with Moka, Yukari, and Kurumu when they'd heard the alarm. Not wasting much in the way of time, Price, Quinn, and Ian transformed, while Kurumu extended her finger blades, wings, and tail. "Time to go," Strike ordered.

"What about Moka?" Yukari asked. "We can't take her out into battle!"

"Why not?" Sting asked.

"Because Adam is the only one who can unlock her rosary to release her true power!" Yukari explained. "And he's not here right now!"

"She's a vampire, right?" Incisor asked.

"Yes," Moka admitted.

"Then she'll have to come along and make her stand until Adam gets here," Incisor replied.

"Just don't drag us down, Moka," Kurumu advised harshly, but with an undercurrent of genuine concern.

"I won't," Moka vowed.

* * *

Inside the interrogation room, Eubulon stared at Jason. "That alarm is a distraction, isn't it? Someone's coming to break you out while we're occupied fighting your allies."

Jason laughed. "Am I that transparent, old man?"

"Wrath, transform and guard him," Eubulon ordered. "If I'm unable to deal with whomever Xaviax sent to retrieve Kamen Rider Depth Charge, it'll be up to you to hold them off."

"On it, Master Eubulon," Nolan whispered somberly before thrusting out his Advent Deck. "Kamen Rider!"

Eubulon thrust out the Advent Key. "Kamen Rider!"

In spheres of bronze and gold, Eubulon and Nolan transformed into Kamen Riders. "I'm counting on you, Nolan," the Advent Master said to Kamen Rider Wrath before he turned to walk out of the room.

"Hope you know you're running toward your death, old man!" Jason shouted tauntingly at Eubulon's back.

_SWORD VENT._

"Shut your mouth," Wrath snarled, pointing one of his Gold Sabers at Jason's throat.

* * *

Soon enough, Eubulon and his Riders had come face-to-face with Xaviax's Riders. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Kamen Rider Haze," the firebird-designed magenta-armored Rider greeted.

"Kamen Rider Ricochet," the beetle-designed crimson-armored Rider introduced herself.

"Kamen Rider Impact," the grasshopper-designed Rider, armored in gray, replied.

"And that's all the warning you get," Haze sneered.

_SWORD VENT._

_SMASH VENT._

_STRIKE VENT._

_CONFINE VENT._

"Nice job, Thrust," Strike remarked.

"What did he do?" Kurumu asked.

"What do you think, boob brain?" Yukari asked. "He used his Advent Card's special effect to stop them from using their Advent Cards to summon their weapons!"

"Doesn't matter," Impact sneered, and blurred out of sight, only emerging to punch Thrust so hard the heavy-armored Rider went flying.

"Holy . . . didn't think there was a Rider strong enough to do that," Torque muttered.

"That wasn't Rider power . . . that was demon power," Kurumu uttered. "And I didn't even see him move."

Haze drew his Guld Visor, which was the same sword he'd had on his back, and performed a fiery slash that nearly cut through Eubulon's armor. Fortunately, Eubulon had parried with his blocky Slash Visor, also taking that opportunity to swipe a card through it.

_SWORD VENT._

"Now this fight can be a little more even," Eubulon remarked, wielding his Slash Dagger against Haze's Visor sword. Blue energy wafted off the Slash Dagger's blade and unleashed itself as a deadly blast of flame that forced Haze back.

"You think that's hot enough to deal with me?" Haze asked. At that moment, he was surprised by a back slash from another Rider with a flaming sword . . . Kamen Rider Lacuna, his Ventaran counterpart.

"This could be," Lacuna replied.

As Haze took on Lacuna and the Advent Master, Ricochet had summoned her Smash Vent, a giant razor-edged red boomerang, and started swinging it at the other Riders. "You don't think that's a little too heavy for you, little lady?" Torque taunted.

"Shut up, idiot," Ricochet sniped, throwing the Biterang at Torque's head. Torque ducked under it and returned fire with his Magna Visor, only for Ricochet to dodge and Torque to nearly end up losing his head when the Biterang came back around. Fortunately, Torque's reflexes were fast enough that he ducked underneath it again and shot it down to keep Ricochet from catching it, then shot at her to keep her from getting to it so easily.

"So you're one of Xaviax's Riders!" Kurumu accused her.

"And you're one of Kamen Rider Onyx's whores," Ricochet taunted.

_SWORD VENT._

A pair of smaller boomerangs with triggers inside their indents dropped into the crimson Rider's hands. Ricochet immediately threw herself into a combat roll and as she came out of it, energy blades released themselves from one end of each boomerang. A flash of razor light later, and Kurumu was minus her claws – and nearly minus her fingers as well.

"KURUMU!" Moka and Yukari shouted.

Mizore, as stoic as she looked, had a much more violent reaction; she lunged for Ricochet with her ice claws out, ready to shed the evil Rider's blood. Unfortunately for her, Ricochet sidestepped Mizore's charge and slashed her in the back with the boomerang-hilted energy swords, only to be prevented from striking a killing blow by Strike. As the cobra Rider was about to strike again, he was punched by Impact coming in from out of nowhere, knocking him to the ground and making him roll several meters before coming to a stop.

At that moment, Moka attacked Impact, only for Impact to move out of the way . . . right into a flurry of tarot cards from Yukari. Impact tilted his head, as though he were smirking beneath his mask. "I'll admit, you scratched me . . . but that's nothing compared to what I can do to you."

"You keep your hands off her!" Moka yelled, ambushing Impact with a flying kick.

"Not bad . . . it stung a little," Impact remarked.

Ricochet, fortunately, had still been prevented from making the kill . . . by Spear attacking her with his Gazelle Stab. "Hey, miss me?"

Incisor attacked her with his Cancer Pincer. "Don't forget about me, either."

Ricochet whirled with her Biter Blades, slashing both Riders almost simultaneously. Just as she was about to relish in her triumph, Strike slashed her with his Veno Saber as Torque fired upon her with his Magna Visor. He looked at Torque. "You guys think you can handle it from here?"

"What are you doing, Price?" Torque asked.

"Making sure this distraction doesn't end in them getting what they want," Strike replied. _And settling a personal score,_ he added silently.

* * *

JTC had thought the chaos of the fight would keep Eubulon's Riders off his back. For the most part, he'd been right. He just hadn't expected one of them to seek him out, though. How serendipitous that the Rider seeking him was the Rider that bore his face . . . and the mantle of Kamen Rider Strike.

"Transform," JTC heard a voice identical to his, only colder and more serious, speak.

"Fine," JTC replied, withdrawing his Strife Deck and thrusting it out. "Kamen Rider!"

_SWORD VENT._

_SWORD VENT._

The Veno Saber in Strike's hand and the Serph Saber in Strife's hand, the mirror Riders lunged at each other, clashing swords. "What burns you up the most?" Strife taunted his counterpart. "That I had her first, or that she still thinks of me?"

"She doesn't think of you at all," Strike snarled, kicking Strife in the chest. "She knows who I am and she knows who you are."

"And it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference that we look exactly alike?" Strife responded, going after Strike again, who retaliated with a slash from his sword.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Strike growled.

"Oh, it does burn you up, doesn't it?" Strife gloated.

"You broke her heart," Strike snapped. "She liked you a lot and you just used her." He punched Strife in his masked face, throwing his sword aside, and began to beat his doppelganger with his armored fists.

Strife just laughed. "Let it all out, Pricey boy! Boy, you must love her a lot to lose your cool like that!"

"Shut up!" Strike yelled. "Time I finished this."

_FINAL VENT._

"Oh, really . . ." Strife mocked. "We'll see how you like this."

_GUARD VENT._

As Strike launched his Veno Crash, Serphantom wrapped its eight heads and tails around Strife, deflecting Strike's Rider Kick. Crashing into the ground, the stunned Strike was viciously set upon by Strife wielding his Serph Saber. Strike managed to retrieve his Veno Saber in time to defend himself against his counterpart's assaults, but by then said counterpart had scored some hits.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Strife taunted.

"You talk too much," Strike retorted, slashing his twin with the Veno Saber. Strife slashed him back before kicking him brutally in the stomach, knocking him to the ground. Strike rolled to his feet and went back on the attack, which his counterpart blocked with a slash from his Serph Saber. "You betrayed your world . . . betrayed your own kind . . . why?"

"Freedom," Strife replied. "With the Advent Deck, I can go anywhere I want, learn anything I wish . . . that's the kind of power you can't buy. That's the kind of power anybody would kill for."

"And collaborate with Xaviax for?" Strike added venomously, as he redoubled his assault on Strife.

"Yeah," Strife admitted. "Right now, though, it's just about getting even with your master for taking my memories away. And I think I'll start by taking you out."

* * *

Back in the interrogation room, Jason flexed his muscles . . . and ripped free of his bindings, much to Wrath's surprise. "You thought I was just some helpless human without my Advent Deck, didn't you? Surprise!" A strange buckle formed on Jason's waist and he morphed into a mantis-like creature garbed in spiky black armor liberally covered with spikes and metal studs, not to mention blades on each forearm.

"What the hell are you?" Wrath asked.

"Call me . . . Paradox," the transformed Jason replied, his voice deep and raspy. "The Immortal Paradox, that is."

"Bring it," Wrath challenged.

"Fine," Paradox replied, and slashed Wrath with a blade of wind that nearly cut through his armor. Before Wrath knew it, Paradox had re-emerged behind him to smash him in the back with the same wind-charged attack. Wrath flashed out of sight, using a gust of gold feathers to conceal his movements, and attacked Paradox with a slash of his Gold Sabers. "Oh, you're good at this . . ." He slashed Wrath again with his wind blade, forcing Wrath onto one knee. "But I'm better."

"So you say . . ." Wrath hissed angrily, resuming his attack on the Immortal Paradox.

"Don't think you can kill me, you can't," Paradox taunted, slashing Wrath with his arm blades.

"You're tough, I'll admit . . . but don't think you can beat me so easily," Wrath retorted. He disappeared in another gust of golden feathers, reappearing to attack Paradox and then disappearing again to move out of Paradox's slashing range. Unfortunately for him, Paradox used his wind blades to attack Wrath from a range, which Wrath deflected with his swords. Charging up close with a flash, Wrath slashed at Paradox viciously with those same swords.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Paradox remarked before slashing Wrath with his right-arm blade.

* * *

As Xaviax's Riders fought Eubulon's Riders, that chaotic scene was what Kamen Riders Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, Axe, Siren, and Onyx happened upon when they arrived in the base. "Adam!" Kuyo yelled. "You're mine!" He charged past his opponents – and even allies – in a rush of foxfire to get at Kamen Rider Onyx.

_STRIKE VENT._

Dragon Knight and Onyx retaliated with a dual Drag Claw Fire, which managed to stop Haze, if only because he had to cleave the attack with his Visor sword. Calling their Sword Vents, the dragon Riders charged at Haze, slashing with their Drag Sabers as Haze defended with his Visor sword. With an arc of flame generated by the swing of his sword, Haze threw Dragon Knight and Onyx back.

"Wing Knight, Siren, Axe . . . find Strike and Wrath!" Eubulon ordered. "They could use your help!"

"I know what you're going to say, Len!" Onyx shouted. "Don't worry about me and Kit! We got this!"

"All right," Wing Knight assented, and went off with Siren and Axe to find Strike and Wrath.

"Don't get yourself vented, Adam," Axe warned. "I'm not through with you yet."

"Thanks, Hunt," Onyx retorted as he kicked Haze. "Nice to know you care."

"Hey, Kuyo . . . remember me?" Gin shouted before attacking Haze with a brutal speed blitz in full wolf form.

"I remember you," Haze snarled. "I'll be looking forward to settling my score with you." He swung his sword again, generating another arc of flame that Gin dodged.

_GUARD VENT._

The twin dragon Riders used their Drag Shields to blunt the force of Kuyo's attack. Not one to give up, Kuyo merely went for the direct approach, slashing at them while they held up their Drag Shields as a defense. Just then, a flurry of sharpened tarot cards flew at Kuyo, slicing him despite his armor.

"Little witch!" Haze snarled. He was about to attack when Lacuna blocked him with his Glyph Blade.

"Going to attack a child?" Tobi remarked. "You really have no honor."

"You think you can take him?" Dragon Knight asked Lacuna.

"I can," Lacuna replied.

Spotting Ricochet about to finish off a vulnerable Kurumu and Mizore, Onyx lunged at her in a rush of inhuman speed, as unnatural killing instincts surged inside him. He blocked her Biter Blades with his Visor gauntlet and twisted to kick her in the stomach with enough force to send her flying. "Kurumu! Mizore! You all right?"

"Stopped the bleeding as best I could," Mizore replied. "For us both."

"All right," Onyx whispered. "Kit, get them out of here."

"What about you?" Dragon Knight asked.

"Don't worry about me," Onyx replied grimly.

"All right," Dragon Knight assented, helping Kurumu and Mizore away from the fight.

Kamen Rider Onyx called his Drag Saber, pointing it at Ricochet, who had recovered her Biter Blades. "You're mine."

"Save some for me," Moka whispered, and Onyx could see her hair wavering between pink and silvery white, her eyes wavering between green and vampire red. Without another word, Onyx removed her rosary seal from her choker, fully unleashing her vampiric power . . . and truest self. "Ready, Kamen Rider?"

"Ready," Onyx answered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wing Knight and Axe had arrived to assist Kamen Rider Strike against his twin, who had him on the ropes. With a swing of his Visor, Axe struck Strife across the chest, while Wing Knight followed up on Axe's attack with his Wing Lancer. "Three against one, huh?" Kamen Rider Strife remarked. "Fine by me. I'll take all of you."

"You think you're that tough?" Axe taunted.

Strife lunged at Axe, slashing him with his Serph Saber, only to be countered by Strike's Veno Saber. Wing Knight and Axe joined in with their Visor weapons, slashing at Strife repeatedly. "Still think you've got good odds, JTC?" Wing Knight asked.

_STRIKE VENT._

Armed with the Dest Claws, Axe slashed at Strife with all the ferocity of the tiger his armor was modeled after. "You're gonna pay!"

"Pay for what?" Strife asked. "And if you're gonna say something about guys like me and Danny using your armors while you were in the Void, it's not like you were around to use them."

Axe just answered him with another vicious swipe of his Dest Claws, knocking Strife to the ground. "Time we finished this."

* * *

Inside the interrogation room, Kamen Rider Siren found Wrath in the middle of a vicious fight with the Immortal Paradox. Wasting no time, she slashed at Paradox with her Wing Lancer, catching the Immortal King of Hearts by surprise. "You must be Siren," Paradox taunted.

"Who are you?" Siren asked.

"You might have known me by the name Depth Charge," Paradox replied. "But I am so much more than just a Kamen Rider."

"He's one of the Immortals!" Wrath exclaimed. "The ones Trent and Chris have been fighting!"

"Is there any way we can take him down?" Siren asked.

"I'm called 'Immortal' for a reason, you know," Paradox mocked.

At that moment, Ruby and a darkly clad ash-blond man entered via the mirrored surface of the glass linking the interrogation room to the observation room. "Need any help?" Ruby asked.

"We could use it, thanks," Wrath replied.

"Paradox . . . I've been looking forward to taking you out for a long time," the black-clad man snarled.

"Ah, you're really getting into the spirit of the game," Paradox taunted.

"What game?" Siren asked.

"You wanna know why we're back?" Paradox asked. "We're here to decide this world's fate, just as we did all those millennia ago. Why do you want to fight against that, Joker? It's our destiny!"

"You've mistaken me for my father," the darkly clad man retorted. "I am not him by a long shot, and I never will be. I am . . ." At that moment, a buckle shaped like a heart formed on his waist, and he withdrew a card that resembled the Ace of Hearts transposed onto a mantis. "Kamen Rider!" He slashed the card through the buckle.

_CHANGE._

As soon as the mysterious card had been swiped through the buckle, the man's form shimmered with a dark aura that formed into a suit of black armor with a silver breastplate resembling a heart. The plate had strange red designs framing it, and much of his armor had gold accents on it. His face was concealed by a black helmet with a visor shaped and colored like a heart, while a pair of mantis-like antennae extended from just above that visor. Completing the ensemble was a bladed bow in his hand.

The transformation complete, Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice lunged at the Immortal Paradox and slashed him with the blades of his bow. Paradox slashed back with the blades on his arms, generating arcs of wind that sliced into Shadow Chalice like real blades. The dark Rider was staggered, but not finished by a long shot.

"My turn," Ruby murmured, and thrust out her Advent Deck, forming the Advent Belt in a burst of black electricity. "Kamen Rider." She locked her deck into the open slot of the Advent Belt's buckle, and the deck whirred inside, generating bronze-tinged energy that formed into a protective sphere around her as she transformed into Kamen Rider Noir.

_SWORD VENT._

Summoning her Ebon Lancer, Noir and Siren teamed up to slash Paradox with their dual-ended blades. Wrath flashed ahead of them to strike down the Immortal Paradox with his Gold Sabers, and just as he was about to strike the finishing blow, Shadow Chalice held them back.

"It's my turn."

_CHOP__ – TORNADO – Spinning Wave!_

With a rush of whirlwind speed, Shadow Chalice delivered a brutal spinning chop to the Immortal Paradox, who just laughed sickeningly. "You think that'll be enough to take me?"

"No," Shadow Chalice whispered. "But that's why I have these."

_FLOAT – __DRILL – TORNADO – Spinning Dance!_

Spinning like a literal whirlwind, Shadow Chalice threw himself into a brutal corkscrew kick that collided with Paradox with enough force to knock him through the glass and into the observation room. Shadow Chalice merely jumped after him and threw a blank card at him. "See you around."

"You're sealing me? You bastard!" Paradox yelled.

Shadow Chalice said nothing as Paradox was absorbed into the blank card he'd thrown at him. This resulted in the creation of a new Rouse Card . . . the Evolution Paradox. The dark Rider picked up the Rouse Card and put it away. "You'll be put to much better use now."

"Thanks for the help," Wrath offered.

"I don't need your thanks," Shadow Chalice answered coldly before walking away.

* * *

Outside the Riders' base, Kamen Riders Haze and Lacuna were still fighting each other with their flaming swords. "Why serve Xaviax?" Lacuna asked. "Whatever he's offered you, he's not gonna make good on it!"

"Who says I care about Xaviax?" Haze retorted. "I'm just in this for revenge."

"Revenge?" Lacuna echoed.

"Your friend Adam? He had the nerve to defy me, to try to supplant me as the justice of Yokai Academy!" Haze explained furiously.

"From the sound of it, you were more like a tyrant than any kind of justice," Lacuna sneered.

"Think what you want," Haze brushed him off. "I kept order in that hellhole of an academy, and that impudent creature – whatever he is – had the nerve to stand against me! Him and his harlots!"

As the twin Riders clashed, they were quickly surrounded by a legion of horrifying monsters that seemed to be made of nothing but blades and spikes, creatures Lacuna felt nothing but pure evil from. Standing in their midst were five Buzzstingers – one red, one blue-gray, one yellow, one gold, and one silver. The red and silver ones were armed with needle-blade daggers, while the yellow and gold ones were armed with bows, and the blue-gray one was armed with a rapier.

"What are they doing here?" Haze asked.

"They're here to finish you off," a mocking female voice replied. "Both of you. Lacuna because Xaviax can't afford Eubulon passing down the mantle of Advent Master to anyone, and Haze because Xaviax just doesn't like people who aren't ready to give their all to the cause."

"What cause?" Lacuna interrogated angrily.

"Who are you?" Haze called out.

"It won't matter to either of you," the voice answered. "See you in hell."

The Buzzstingers, along with the spiky monsters, attacked the two Kamen Riders, who fought back viciously by combining their foxfire with their swords. "It seems we'll have to agree to a truce until we survive this," Lacuna remarked.

"Truce? With you?" Haze sneered.

"It's either that or we get vented!" Lacuna snapped.

_STRIKE VENT._

_SWORD VENT._

With a set of long claws equipped to his gauntlets, Lacuna slashed at the spiky monsters, while Haze attacked them with his Guld Blade. The two Riders fought back to back, guarding each other against surprise attacks from either side. "We actually make a fairly good team," Lacuna remarked. "It's a shame we have to be enemies."

"You think I'm going to take that from a pale reflection of myself?" Haze sneered.

The spiky monsters, along with the Buzzstingers, continued to attack the mirror twins. For every one Kamen Riders Haze and Lacuna took down, two more seemed to arise to keep up the fight, not that either Haze or Lacuna would admit defeat. Just as it seemed all was lost, a silver blur rushed through the spiky monsters. Upon a closer look, that silver blur was a humanoid figure in silver wolf-themed armor, wielding twin swords.

"Who are you?" Haze asked.

"Silver Fang," the silver-armored man replied.

_FINAL VENT._

_FINAL VENT._

A red-and-black humanoid firebird, Guldthunder, carried Haze into a brutal slash attack inflicted upon scores of the monsters in their path. A gold gryphon flew down as Lacuna jumped up onto its back, riding it into a sweeping thrust-and-slash combo attack against even more of the monsters. Fire burned all around them as it incinerated the remains of the creatures that had attacked the two Riders.

_FINAL VENT._

The Buzzstingers linked together in a circle, spinning so rapidly they could no longer be individually distinguished. When the spinning ended, they'd merged into a giant blade-tailed wasp that attached itself to the outstretched arm of a lunging figure whose silver armor resembled a wasp. The sight of an Advent Deck with a wasp crest framed by her belt buckle marked her as a Kamen Rider . . . all too late for Haze to be saved, as she brutally impaled him.

"So long, Kuyo," she whispered as he began to disappear into the Advent Void.

"You . . . you bitch!" Kuyo screamed. "You miserable little harridan! I'll be back! I'll kill you . . . you and Xaviax . . . and Adam . . . and his whores . . . and all the rest of you as well! You hear me! _This isn't finished!_"

"Those are your last words?" the wasp-themed Rider sneered as Kuyo finally vanished into the Void for good.

"Why did you do that?" Lacuna asked.

"He would have been more trouble than he was worth," the silver Rider replied disdainfully. She picked up the Haze Deck and tossed it to Lacuna. "Consider that a small favor. It is yours, after all. You should be happy to have it back."

"I never liked that guy . . . but that was a little much," Silver Fang remarked, just as the wasp Rider began to walk away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I did what I was supposed to," the wasp Rider replied. "I have no reason to linger." With that, she was gone, leaving a de-transformed Tobi to hold the Haze Deck.

"You gonna leave him there?" Silver Fang asked.

"For now," Tobi admitted. "He could use some time to reflect on what he's done."

* * *

Back at the Riders' base, Ricochet, Impact, and Strife were beating a hasty retreat. "Where are they going?" Incisor asked.

"It looks like either they got what they came for, or they've decided to cut their losses," Wing Knight replied.

"Little punks . . ." Inner Moka sneered.

"Kit, how are Kurumu and Mizore doing?" Onyx asked over the com-link.

"Better," Dragon Knight replied, "although Kurumu's a little delirious from blood loss."

"What do you mean?" Onyx asked.

"She keeps mistaking me for you," Dragon Knight replied. "And when she thinks I'm you, she has a habit . . . of rubbing her chest . . . against me."

"Well, if she wants you so bad, she can have you!" Yukari shouted. "Means Adam gets to stay with me and Moka and not have to deal with big-boobed tarts!"

Onyx resisted the urge to go over there and murder his counterpart and successor out of sheer jealous rage. "As long as she's all right."

"Only you, Adam," Torque remarked, snickering. "Only you."

* * *

Inside Xaviax's base, the inhuman tyrant stared at his four remaining Riders. "You got it?"

"Yeah," JTC replied, holding up a USB flash drive.

"You're sure it has the information on Eubulon's future Kamen Rider designs?" Xaviax interrogated.

"I checked it out myself," JTC answered. "Good stuff, the kind of stuff that should give us an edge."

"I'll be the judge of that," Xaviax stated coldly. He sighed with faux mournfulness. "It's a shame about Jason. He was a good soldier."

"What about Kuyo?" the unarmored Ricochet, a petite and almost delicate-looking redheaded girl dressed entirely in black, asked.

"He would have been a hindrance," Xaviax dismissed. "Revenge is one of my favorite human drives, but not when it gets in the way of the mission. Understand? The mission comes first, not whatever grudge matches you lot want to engage in." He stared JTC directly in the eye. "Am I clear on that?"

"Yes, General," JTC assented.

"Good," Xaviax replied, as he took the thumb drive from his right-hand man, smiling sinisterly. "I'll see what I can do about this. . . ."

Next: Howling in the Shadows

* * *

Endnotes: There you go. We now know a little more about Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice, namely that he's descended from an Immortal himself, the Immortal Black Joker! He's defeated Depth Charge, who was also a descendant of an Immortal, in line with his inspiration Kamen Rider Abyss really being an Undead from the _Blade_ series. Unlike in _Decade_ where Hajime and Abyss were in league the whole time, here they are very clearly enemies, but what will become of Shadow Chalice as he struggles with his origins and ultimate destiny?

Kuyo's been taken down by a mysterious new enemy Rider with a connection to the Buzzstingers, leaving Tobi to once again possess the Haze Advent Deck. What will he do with the Lacuna Deck, and is there a special path for him in his future? (In case you're wondering, at the behest of "brave kid," I'm going to spin him off into his own series that will run concurrently with "Onyx and Vampire.")

Of course, that doesn't mean the good guys are off scot-free. Xaviax has acquired the schematics for Eubulon's future Riders, which can only mean trouble up ahead. Will we be seeing versions of the Riders from _Faiz, Kabuto,_ and maybe even _Blade_ fighting alongside Xaviax's forces? Not to mention, who in the world is that mysterious wolf-like silver knight who came to Tobi's aid against Kuyo, and what history does he have with the former Captain Enforcer? For the answers to those questions and others, keep reading, because it's just gonna get better and better! Until then, let's ride.

* * *

Rider Fashion Check!  
Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Welcome to another exciting edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced, dressed in a sexy news reporter suit. "I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her co-host, Yukari Sendo!" Yukari was dressed in a hybrid of a news reporter suit and a traditional witch's outfit.

"Today, we are here to discuss the man, the myth, the legend . . . Kamen Rider Camo!" Kurumu declared, pressing a button on her keyboard to show an image of the chameleon Rider above them.

"You know, I've never had good experiences with lizards," Yukari remarked, remembering the lizardmen that had tried to eat her and Moka before Adam saved them.

"Then it's lucky for you that Camo is such a nice guy!" Kurumu chimed in. "For one, he's probably one of the best Riders in terms of raw fighting skill, particularly barehanded combat!"

"Why barehanded?" Yukari asked.

"His personal preference, I think," Kurumu answered. "But he does have his Advent Cards. Like _Hold Vent._" She pressed another button, and the image changed to Camo holding a yo-yo.

"A yo-yo?" Yukari scoffed. "Some weapon."

"Oh, it gets better," Kurumu remarked with a smile. "With that yo-yo, Camo can entrap his opponent . . . and yo-yos were used for street fighting in some parts of the human world."

"I knew that!" Yukari cut in.

"Sure . . ." Kurumu mocked. "And _Clear Vent_ makes him invisible, but its weakness is that he can still be detected by scent even if he keeps very quiet. It is useful for evading and ambushing enemies, though."

"And for peeping on people!" Yukari added.

"Van's not like Gin," Kurumu interrupted. "He wouldn't do something like that."

"And what about his _Final Vent?_" Yukari wondered.

"Oh, it's a brutal one . . ." Kurumu replied, and pressed another button, this time showing Camo performing his Final Vent. Biogreeza, a humanoid chameleon, wrapped its tongue around Camo's legs as Camo jumped into the air and swung him at his opponent. Camo grabbed the opponent and slammed him headfirst into the ground, making a small crater in that ground.

"Wow, that's harsh," Yukari commented. "Wouldn't want to end up on the other side of that."

"Neither would I," Kurumu agreed.

"Why do you care?" Yukari asked. "You don't have much of a brain, anyway!"

"Why, you –!" Kurumu began to chase Yukari, who giggled as she dropped a basin on Kurumu's head.

"And that'll be all for now," Yukari said, speaking to the camera. "Next time, we will study Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and see if he is as good as Kamen Rider Onyx! Until then, this is Yukari Sendo . . ."

"And Kurumu Kurono, signing off!"


	25. Howling in the Shadows

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 25: "Howling in the Shadows"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and the Kamen Rider series my fan adaptations are based on belong to Ishinomori Productions, with KRDK specifically being the property of Adness Entertainment and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media, while the character of "Silver Fang" is sourced from an independent series called GARO, created by Keita Amemiya. I make no money from the use of those properties or any of the characters associated with them, and this is done solely for personal entertainment.

Author's note: Things are getting quite heavy. Xaviax, through JTC, has stolen Eubulon's specs for future Rider tech, meaning he can create his own Kamen Riders. The good news, though, is that two of his Riders have been eliminated already – Depth Charge and Haze, although Depth Charge's sealing revealed an unsettling fact about the mysterious Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice's origins. The Riders may have another ally, one in wolf-modeled silver armor, but who is he and what does he want?

Fortunately, there's going to be a little bit of downtime for this chapter. After the high-octane action you guys have been getting, you deserve a break, and so do the characters! While our heroes are recuperating from their recent battles, their thoughts turn to romance, but that might not be any smoother a ride than their earlier battles. Enough talk, however; let's ride.

* * *

Eubulon looked at the two Advent Decks in Tobi's hands, one bronze with a gold eagle crest and the other magenta with a gold firebird crest. "You want me to unlock the Lacuna Deck?"

"Yes, Master Eubulon," Tobi replied. "For the mission you want me to go on, I will need at least one ally."

"Are you sure you will be able to find one?" Eubulon asked, his tone dripping with fatherly concern.

"I'm sure," Tobi answered confidently.

Eubulon took the Lacuna Deck from Tobi and focused his mental energy on it. It glowed for a moment, and then the glow dimmed as he passed it back to Tobi. "Done. I presume you intend to use the Haze Deck yourself now that your counterpart is no longer able to, am I right?"

"Yes," Tobi admitted, "although I still feel a little wary about it under the circumstances that allowed me to repossess it."

"Understandable," Eubulon comforted him. "Even a man like Kuyo does not deserve the Advent Void."

"If only we could convince Hunt that Adam doesn't deserve the Advent Void, either."

"It is possible that those two will resolve their differences, one way or another. Hopefully in a more peaceful manner than I'm expecting."

* * *

Speaking of Adam and Hunt, the two were currently squaring off in the combat exercise room, their uniform jackets removed and tossed to the side. "If this is what it takes . . ."

"You haven't even begun to make up for what you did to us," Hunt replied. "And just because I can't vent you doesn't mean I can't take my pound of flesh some other way."

Adam shifted into a fighting stance, as Hunt moved into his own combat stance. "Whenever you're ready . . ."

Hunt charged Adam with a fast jab that Adam barely deflected. As he spun backward to retaliate with a roundhouse kick, Hunt looped his arm around Adam's leg, locking his elbow and Adam's knee together and forcing Adam off balance. As the youngest Rider struggled to regain his footing, Hunt used his leverage to slam Adam into the mat, keeping his leg trapped all the while.

However, he had not quite anticipated Adam shooting up straight and slamming his cranium into Hunt's. This knocked the older Rider off balance long enough for Adam to slip his leg free and twist his hips for a low kick to his foe's solar plexus. Hunt staggered back, but quickly regained his balance just as Adam was about to press his advantage, catching Adam's fist and pulling him in to slam his elbow into Adam's ribcage.

Adam was the one staggering back this time, as Hunt was ready to press his advantage with a series of short, brutal kicks. Knocked to the ground, Adam struggled to catch his breath, his body shaking as though . . . he were laughing. "What's so funny?" Hunt asked.

"You're really angry, aren't you?" Adam replied. "I understand . . . more than you think. It's why I left Sarah in the first place. How could I look her in the eye and tell her I love her, knowing what I did to her, to her family? You think that doesn't weigh on me?"

"Spare me the sob story," Hunt snapped. "I'm getting sick of hearing it."

Adam looked up at Hunt, his eyes suddenly shimmering with an unnatural light. The next thing Hunt knew, he'd been punched in the stomach by Adam, hard enough to knock the breath out of him. Adam pressed his attack with a brutal knee to the solar plexus, this one hard enough to make him briefly airborne, but that didn't last long before Adam slammed his elbow into Hunt's back, knocking him flat on the ground. Hunt didn't even get a chance to get back up before Adam pinned him to the mat, twisting an arm behind his back.

"And I'm getting sick of hearing you yap about how I need to suffer for my crimes," Adam hissed in his ear. "You don't think I suffer already? You don't think I spend every minute of my life wishing I could take back what I did, or even die like I deserve? I'm trying, damn you . . . I know you'll never forgive me. I don't expect you to, I've gotten far more forgiveness than I'm worth already, and if there's anyone else who won't forgive me, it's me. So don't act like my pain is nothing."

Hunt angrily elbowed Adam in the face, hard enough to split his lip and loosen his grip so that Hunt could slip free and spring up for a brutal snap kick to his chest. "Like I said before, spare me the sob story."

Adam wiped his bloody lip, a deadly serene smile on his face. Some multiple flashes of pain later, Hunt was on the ground in a black-clad heap, with Adam standing above him tittering like a maniac. About thirty seconds later, that tittering had turned into full-throated insane laughter.

"You gone insane or something?" Hunt growled.

"Insane . . . insane . . . insane . . ." Adam repeated, like a mantra. "Is that really all there is to it? No soul, no life, nothing . . . just me, this black heart, these fists, and a fresh victim to bleed . . ."

Hunt snapped up, just as Adam brutally kicked him in the stomach, knocking him onto his back as Hunt used the force of Adam's kick to roll onto his feet. Faster than even Hunt's trained reflexes could react to, Adam punched him in the face hard enough to split Hunt's lip this time. Adam pressed his advantage with another punch, and another, and when Hunt tried to counter, Adam caught his fist and squeezed hard. Hunt's expression quickly turned to horror when he saw Adam's eyes . . . they weren't just glittering with unnatural malice, they'd turned red with slit pupils, like a vampire's eyes.

"That bitch!" Hunt yelled. "_She_ did this to you, didn't she?"

"You shut up about Moka," Adam hissed, his voice a whisper so low it was almost inaudible to the untrained ear. With a brutal backhanded fist, Adam knocked Hunt to the ground again while turning so that his side profile was facing him. He turned his head to look in Hunt's direction and extended his arm, palm up in a beckoning gesture. "Come on, you son of a bitch. You haven't gotten even half of your punishment today."

Enraged, Hunt charged at Adam, tackling Adam in a berserk rage and knocking him to the ground. Hunt began punching Adam in the face, but each punch felt like hitting solid rock or even steel, and Adam was laughing insanely the whole time even as he bled. To Hunt's horror, those wounds were healing at unnatural speed. . . .

"What the hell are you?" Hunt asked.

Adam just smirked cruelly at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?" And that was the moment he punched Hunt hard in the face, throwing Hunt off him and sending him crashing to the ground. Adam just rose to his feet and stalked toward him, like a predator to his prey. "No more doormat. No more feeling sorry for myself. I gave my life for Ventara and Earth, just like you. And I'm not going to let one moment of weakness be the only thing I'm remembered for."

"Adam!" a voice cut in, prompting both Adam and Hunt to look and see Tobi and Eubulon, along with Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari, standing by the doorway.

"What's going on here?" Yukari asked concernedly. "Adam, what's wrong?"

"Hunt wanted a fight," Adam replied with unnatural calmness. "To even the score once and for all. I took him up on it . . . and then I got sick of playing his game, sick of letting my guilt eat away at my pride, my resolve. I'm done with that. Either he sucks it up and learns to deal . . ."

"Or you'll do what, Adam?" Eubulon asked. "Do you intend to beat him? Send him to the Advent Void? Kill him, even? All you'll do is prove him right, and make us all fools for letting you have a second chance."

"Third or fourth, actually, but who's counting?" Adam mocked.

"Adam, your eyes," Kurumu said. "They're red, red like Moka's eyes whenever she's unsealed!"

"So they are," Adam remarked nonchalantly. "You like?"

"Not if you're gonna go around beating people up like that!" Kurumu retorted. "Hunt may be acting like a jerk, but so are you right now!"

"Adam, get a hold of yourself," Eubulon admonished. "Your anger and frustration are understandable, but _not_ if it drives you to confront a fellow Kamen Rider with intent to kill."

"Adam, please . . ." Moka whispered. "Stop this. It isn't like you to hurt people like that."

The red began to fade from Adam's eyes, shifting back to blue with round pupils. Adam slumped, breathing heavily as he looked at his hands, the wounds on them healed as though he'd never gotten into a fistfight with Hunt in the first place. "What's . . . what's wrong with me?"

Hunt staggered to his feet. "I don't know, but maybe I'm not the only one with rage issues here."

"Shut it, you," Mizore whispered coldly. "He wouldn't even be like this if you hadn't kept antagonizing him."

"Right, because he deserves to get away with what he's done," Hunt snapped back. "He can cry all he wants about how he's suffered, but he won't know a damned thing about it until he's had a taste of the Advent Void himself. Then he can come to me and say he's sorry."

"Enough," Eubulon cut in. "We will discuss this later, with the other Kamen Riders. For now, we must see the nature of whatever psychic or spiritual scarring has led Adam to behave this way."

"Fine," Hunt growled. "But we're far from finished."

"You are if you value your life," Tobi murmured.

"Is that a threat?" Hunt challenged.

"A warning," Tobi clarified. "Even if you got your way, it would only create more discord within the Kamen Riders, and these lovely ladies with us would seek your life."

Hunt glared sourly at the four Yokai Academy girls, Kurumu and Mizore looking back with equally hostile expressions . . . and claws starting to edge out from their hands. Hunt began to reach for his Advent Deck, anticipating another fight, only for Eubulon to transpose himself between them.

"Stop," he ordered. "Enough conflict has already happened. There is no need for more of it." He turned to Adam. "Come with me." Then he turned to Hunt. "You as well, Hunt. Your injuries need to be treated."

* * *

Inside the base Xaviax had made for himself on Witch's Knoll, the demonic warlord sifted through the data on the USB drive JTC had given him. Scrolling up and down the screen were schematics for new Kamen Rider armors, two based on the prototype Triad design, only one had red highlights and gold eyepieces and the other had yellow highlights and purple eyepieces. Another set of Kamen Rider armors seemed to be largely modeled on insects of one type or another – beetles, a wasp, a dragonfly, grasshoppers – except the scorpion, which Xaviax wasn't fool enough to mistake for an insect like so many idiot humans.

"Good work, JTC," Xaviax remarked. "You've really outdone yourself this time."

"Thank you, General," JTC answered humbly.

"And it seems Eubulon even wants to give the humans their own paramilitary force of Riders . . . or Rider emulators, as the case may be," Xaviax remarked, gesturing to the rows of identically armored troopers that seemed based on the Triad design as well. He also took stock of the black-armored troopers whose designs vaguely reminded him of bees, albeit with bladed weapons on their arms.

"What do you intend to do with them, General?" JTC inquired.

"What I do best," Xaviax replied coolly. "Put his technology to better use. And it helps that I have a little help."

"You mean . . ."

"Yes, but let's not talk about that right now. Right now, I'm thinking we need to bolster our numbers a bit. Depth Charge got taken down, and the Haze Deck is now back in the hands of its original user."

"What do you suggest?"

"I don't know . . . maybe we get to work on those new Riders?" The warlord's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, General."

"Not as sorry as you will be if you don't find some people willing to strap on untested Kamen Rider armors."

"How hard can it be?" JTC asked. "You find some desperate idiots like the first time around, feed them a line about getting what they want if they work for you, and presto – instant loyalty."

"Doesn't always work like that, or have you forgotten about Drew Lansing, Brad Barrett, Chris Ramirez, and Danny Cho?" Instead of sarcasm, his tone was cold, his eyes hard with the remembrance of those failures. That was when JTC knew he had to back off, for the sake of his own health.

* * *

At the Riders' Ventaran base, Moka stood by Adam's bedside in the infirmary with Eubulon, Len, and Price, answering their questions to the best of her ability.

"His aura keeps changing," Price mentioned. "As though something dark is growing inside him, trying to take him over, and every time it happens, his fighting abilities increase dramatically, like he's being propelled by some supernatural force."

Moka looked at Adam's sleeping frame sadly. "It's my fault. When we were fighting Kuyo that first time, Adam threw himself in front of his foxfire to protect the rest of us, even knowing that it could burn through his armor. I . . . I couldn't let him die like that, so I gave him my blood to rejuvenate him."

"And from the data we recovered from seeing him in action afterward, it had the side effect of increasing his strength, speed, and fighting abilities," Len added, turning a hard gaze on her.

"It may not be entirely the fault of Moka's blood," Eubulon interjected. "Remember, Adam and Xaviax were in a long-term psychological and spiritual struggle for dominion over his body. And considering what Xaviax has become, it's not too hard to imagine that it left some kind of psychic residue that's been feeding off the power in Moka's blood and Adam's own emotional trauma to transform him into something utterly inhuman."

"What do we do?" Price asked. "We can't let him become a monster." He turned to Moka quickly. "No offense."

"I know what you mean by monster, Price," Moka responded. "It's ok."

Eubulon placed his hand on Adam's chest and pushed inward, his hand glowing with blue energy. "Unlike with the last time, this is Adam against his own demons. I cannot exorcise them for him. The most I can do is force the power bringing them to the forefront to retreat for a time." As he said those words, the blue energy surrounding Adam briefly darkened, as a black buckle with a perfectly circular blood-red crystal in its center appeared on his waist, only to disappear as the energy turned blue once again.

"What was that?" Moka asked.

_I don't know,_ Inner Moka admitted. _But it felt . . . like nothing else I've ever sensed before. Like evil itself was trying to claw its way out of him._

"I know what that is," Eubulon whispered. "The legends refer to this kind of thing as a 'soul evolution,' where a human ascends to a higher state of self in both body and spirit. With Moka's blood and Xaviax's psychic scarring combined, though, I fear it may very well be more devolution."

"Like the angels that fell from grace and became demons . . ." Price murmured.

"We can slow it down for now, but eventually it will progress beyond my capacity to impede it," Eubulon warned.

* * *

Elsewhere in the base, specifically the common room, the other Yokai Academy girls were worrying about Adam. "That look in his eyes . . ." Mizore murmured. "That wasn't Adam. I don't know what that was, but that wasn't him."

Yukari shivered. "He scared me . . . and he's never done that before."

"It's Moka's fault!" Kurumu exclaimed in frustrated concern. "If she hadn't given Adam her blood, he wouldn't be going insane like that!"

"Watch your mouth, boob brain!" Yukari snapped. "She did it to save his life! And if she hadn't, you wouldn't have someone to shove your tits into!"

"You little brat! You wouldn't understand a thing about it!"

"Oh, really?"

"Stop," Kase called to them. "Adam wouldn't want to see you fighting over him like this."

"Oh, sorry . . ." Kurumu murmured, although the anger hadn't left her eyes.

Kase smiled softly. "Whatever's happening to him now, he's going to need all of us by his side to help him through it. And speaking of helping him through it, I've got an idea." Her smile turned wicked, as her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Do tell," Mizore mumbled.

Kase pulled out a bucket hat from behind her back with multiply colored strips of paper inside it. "There are 20 reds, 10 blues, 5 purples, and 2 grays. Whoever picks the rarest color gets to go out with Adam tonight, and then the others can try again for the next date. Does that sound fair?"

"A game of chance," Yukari remarked. "Perfectly fair."

"I'll win for sure!" Kurumu shouted.

"Like hell, bazooka girl," Mizore demurred.

"Says you, stalker girl!" Kurumu retorted.

Kase cleared her throat softly.

* * *

When Adam woke up, he found a folded paper by his bedside. He turned to pick it up and unfolded it, revealing a short letter in Kase's flaring penmanship. _"Adam, take your bike and go to the amusement park. One of your girls will be waiting for you there, and I'm not gonna tell you which one. Why spoil the surprise? Have fun. –Yours truly, Kase."_

Adam got out of the infirmary, going to change out of his uniform and into more-or-less regular clothes. Settling on his usual leather jacket over a charcoal gray shirt with silver designs and black pants, Adam dressed himself before going to find his motorcycle. He avoided Hunt this time, not wanting another fight . . . not because he was afraid he'd lose, but because he was afraid of what he'd do if he _won._ That unbelievable rage and hate that had come from inside him – it honestly terrified him, terrified him more than being under Xaviax's thumb had.

_What am I becoming?_

Straddling his motorcycle, Adam returned to the other side of the mirrors, riding to the amusement park. _Wonder which one of them it is,_ he thought to himself, smiling a little behind his helmet.

After parking his motorcycle in the nearby lot, Adam took his keys out of the bike and slipped them into his jacket pocket while leaving his helmet in its bike-mounted cubby hole. As he walked toward the entrance to the amusement park, he found Moka waiting for him, wearing a dark red blouse, a black miniskirt pleated like a tennis uniform skirt, and an eager smile.

"Hi, Moka. I guess you're my mystery date."

"Luck of the draw," the pink-haired vampire replied.

Adam offered his arm to her, and she wrapped hers around it, linking them together. "Let's go."

* * *

Inside the No-Men's base, Michelle Walsh stared down Eubulon with an inscrutable expression. "_What_ do you mean, 'your Rider specs were stolen'?"

"Exactly what you just said, Michelle," the Advent Master confirmed. "JTC used the attack on our base by his fellow Riders on Xaviax's side to keep my Riders distracted while he downloaded the specs for future Riders. No doubt he gave them to Xaviax."

Michelle's hard stare didn't change in intensity. "Then we'll have to accelerate the Kamen Rider Program here on Earth."

"We will," Eubulon acknowledged.

"What have you been able to find out about these Orphans?" Michelle asked, shifting subjects.

"They were not the products of natural evolution, but experiments carried out by Xaviax during the time he held Ventara captive and tried to capture Earth as well," Eubulon replied. "As far as my friends in Smart Brain have been able to ascertain, it was some kind of viral mutation designed to spread with each human 'killed' by an Orphan – like zombies or vampires or even werewolves according to most myths."

"That son of a bitch," Michelle snapped. "He was thinking that even if your Riders somehow managed to beat him, he'd still have a weapon to use against Earth and Ventara . . . their own people, turned into monsters!"

"Essentially," Eubulon confirmed grimly. "That's just Xaviax's style. Since he couldn't have Earth, he's decided he'd rather destroy the entire human race, and this is a rather insidious way of doing it."

"You speak from experience, don't you?" Michelle mused aloud.

"Yes," Eubulon admitted shamefully. "I saw him do it to other worlds, our own included. And as you know, I aided and abetted him in doing so."

Michelle's expression softened when she saw Eubulon's regretful expression and she placed a hand on his arm. Eubulon looked at her and his rueful stare lightened into a curious expression. "I didn't think you were the kind to give succor to others so easily."

"Not in most cases, no."

Eubulon raised his eyebrow. "Does that make me a special case?"

Michelle's stare hardened again, but there was no real hostility in it this time. "Don't push your luck."

* * *

In the amusement park, Adam and Moka were walking about taking in the sights. There was a Ferris wheel in the distance, perfect for a couple to quietly contemplate and bask in each other's company. Fun games littered the amusement park, along with even more exciting rides. "Which one do you want to try first?" Adam asked Moka.

Moka pointed at the ring toss. "Why not that one?"

"Sure," Adam replied, smiling slightly.

As soon as they got to the ring toss, the guy manning it spotted them. "Now don't you two make a cute couple?"

Moka blushed, while Adam composed himself. "How much to play?"

"One dollar for three rings," the man replied.

Adam fished out a somewhat wrinkled dollar bill and handed it to the man, who exchanged it for three rings that he gave to Adam, who in turn gave them to Moka. The man chuckled. "Wanna let your girl try it out? Nice of you."

"How do I win?" Moka asked.

"Get all three looped into that stand, and you get any prize you want," the man replied.

"Ok," Moka said, seeming to understand. To the guy's surprise, she got all three looped around the short pole with absolute accuracy.

"Pretty good for a beginner," he said, trying to pass off like he'd seen it all. "So what do you want?"

Moka looked at the stand where the stuffed toys were held and she saw one she adored, a stuffed Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. "That's it, huh? That's a real popular book these days, and I hear the author's gonna be trying for a sequel sometime soon."

"Really?" Adam uttered. _Didn't know Maya wanted to make another book out of our adventures._

"And guess what? They're even making it into a movie."

Adam attempted to feign disinterest. "Wonder who they'll get to play the Riders."

While that exchange was going on, the guy had taken the Dragon Knight plush toy from the stand and handed it to Moka. "For the lovely lady. Nice hair. Did you dye it?"

"Kinda, yeah . . ." Moka admitted, insofar as _white_ was Moka's true hair color.

"It looks good on you," the guy said.

"Thanks," Moka replied, blushing.

"No prob," the man replied. "Have fun, you two."

Adam and Moka walked through the amusement park, one of Moka's arms entwined with Adam's as her other arm held on tightly to the plush Dragon Knight. "Why that one?" he asked.

"Because you were the original Dragon Knight," she whispered with a slight blush. "And I think you'd look good in red."

"Yeah," Adam murmured somewhat ruefully. "I did."

Trying to distract Adam from the funk he was slowly beginning to sink into again, Moka turned to the music stand. "That looks like fun!"

Adam brightened up. "You sing?"

"Yeah, a little . . ." Moka admitted shyly.

"That's cool," Adam answered. "Maybe I'll give it a try after you're done."

When they reached the stand, Moka offered up some coins to the machine, which consisted of a microphone, two big speakers with a heavy-looking subwoofer, and three screens. One screen was like a computer monitor and designed for the purpose of song selection, while the second was in front of her for the purpose of helping her remember the lyrics. The third was the largest and was designed to stand behind a singer facing outward, like a Jumbotron projecting his or her image to the crowd.

Once her song was selected, Moka picked up the microphone and turned to face Adam. Music began to play, starting out with the sound of a violin playing before a Japanese pop beat superseded it, and Moka began to sing.

_[T__he silver flames engulf the sky / Though my heart may be torn asunder / I want to give myself only to you / Please accept my true self that is this cross.]_

_[The unsleeping velvet moon / Adorns this secret room / The two of us are alone; I quietly lock the door / Let's dance and lose ourselves in this playful moment.]_

Adam understood that Moka was singing in Japanese, yet he could understand the lyrics perfectly. He blushed at some of the lyrics, not least of all because of their possible double meanings, although a little voice in his head told him that "give myself only to you" had a pretty obvious implication. As if that wasn't enough, there was, "The two of us are alone; I quietly lock the door."

_Whatever could that possibly mean?_ Adam's inner thoughts asked him in that "you're an idiot if you can't guess" tone.

_[Like__ a candle lit by a gentle flame / I let my heart be softened by you / Pledge me your eternity.]_

_[No one can break the chains of love / Cast a sweet, bewitching charm on me / Only you can accept my primal instincts / My forbidden melodies / Now they, too, can soar free / Hurry . . . Catch me.]_

Those next two verses reminded Adam of the "Inner" Moka he had come to know and love with every bit of the same passion as he loved her Outer self. It was somewhat different between them, though; the Outer Moka provoked intense feelings of protectiveness from him, while the Inner Moka was like unto a war goddess whose every agile, graceful movement and poetically brutal strike intoxicated him. (And it didn't hurt that he could see her panties if he was at the right angle, although it wasn't like he _tried;_ there were more important things to do in the midst of combat, like winning the fight, and he wasn't a total lecher like Gin.)

Shaking him out of his musings was the audience he noticed Moka's singing had attracted. Many of them were male, ranging from young boys to teenagers to college men to older professionals unwinding, but there were a lot of females, too, around the same ages as their male counterparts. Some of the older boys and men were almost openly drooling, which made something in Adam want to reach out and tear them all apart for daring to ogle what was _his,_ only for Adam to catch himself and hold back. He did notice some of the girls looking at Moka a little oddly, too, not in jealousy, but . . .

_[In the __night that has forgotten to end / A fountain of stars lies trapped / It is alone, silently as if it's praying / For a dream it doesn't need to awake from.]_

_[Find me in the darkness that binds me / Oh, this sweet scent is driving me crazy / Please let me embrace it, right now.]_

That last verse brought back memories, Adam found, of every time Moka had sucked his blood. Sometimes, he found himself wishing he had the courage to kiss her after she'd drunk his blood, taste those beautiful, soft lips (he was sure they'd be soft) for the first time . . . and maybe see how different Moka's lips tasted from Kurumu's. A flush of shame came over him as he remembered Kurumu's kiss, her tongue wiggling in his mouth as he sucked it in to deepen the kiss . . . for those few glorious moments of grief and heartbreak before the succubus had encouraged him to fight for who he truly wanted.

_And now I'm not even sure who I truly want anymore,_ he thought. _Kurumu, Mizore . . . Moka . . ._

_[The__ silver flames dance in the sky / Even if they swallow up and erase everything / I ask only for you to be here / This throbbing heartbeat just won't stop / Our entwined souls / Will someday produce a miracle.]_

Yes, Adam could hear his heartbeat in his own ears, echoing in tune with someone else's . . . Moka's. He could hear her heart beating in his ears, like a steady metronome that yet excited him, that boiled his blood with desire, desire for this bewitching vampire in front of him, so utterly innocently seducing him.

_Mine,_ a voice whispered from the edges of the darkness of his mind. _Mine. All mine. Kill anyone that tries to take her away. Make her mine, body and soul._

Adam shook himself in horror at the thoughts in his own brain. They'd sounded so animalistic, so savage, so utterly _feral_ that it was alien to his still-human sensibilities. Was it the same thing that had tried to make him kill Hunt? _No . . ._

_[Is fate predetermined?__ / Even if it can't be changed, I can surely breathe new life into it.]_

_[No one can break the chains of love / Cast a sweet, bewitching charm on me / Only you can accept my primal instincts / My forbidden melodies / Now they, too, can soar free / Hurry . . . Catch me, I am here.]_

* * *

Moka's song finished to thunderous applause by the crowd, applause Adam enthusiastically added to as if it could somehow drown out the voice of his own inner lust for her. Managing to push through the crowd as Moka stepped down to find him, both of them easily tracking each other by scent and heartbeat, Adam embraced her. "Moka, you were great."

"Thank you, Adam," she whispered. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he whispered back. "Moka, I . . ."

"I could hear your heart, Adam. You don't have to say anymore."

Summoning up the embers of his courage, Adam kissed Moka gently, chastely on the lips. Moka was surprised, her face crimson with the evidence of her embarrassment . . . but then her eyes closed slowly as she relaxed in his arms, letting him kiss her as one of his hands threaded into her luxurious pink hair.

Inner Moka would not admit it out loud, but Adam was a very good kisser. She supposed he had plenty of practice, with that Ventaran girl Sarah that he'd betrayed his fellow Riders for and later with the succubus Kurumu. Internally, she bristled with jealousy from the memory of Kurumu's lingering scent on him when he'd come to save her from that vampire impostor who'd tried to seduce her. She appreciated him for that, for all the times he'd fought by and for her – not that she'd say it out loud; love only made one weak, after all, and Adam's history with that Ventaran girl only reminded her of that cold hard truth.

Adam was the first to break the kiss, as Outer Moka smiled warmly at him, still blushing. "Would you like to try it now?" she asked.

"Sure," Adam replied, and went up to the stage to select his own song after feeding the machine some coins. Once that was done, he turned to face his audience as the music began, letting the English-spoken monologue go through before he sang.

* * *

(A night sky full of cries / Hearts filled with lies / The contract – is it worth the price? / A soul pledged to the darkness / Now I've lost it, I know I can kill / The truth exists beyond the Gate.)

_[Tears streame__d from my squeezed-shut eyelids / My reason and the fragments of my blood are repeatedly undermined.]_

[I don't want anything anymore / _(My exposed feelings go around and turn around)_ / I don't feel the same way as before / (Gang bang, son of a gun.)]

_[In the crack between two entwined chests__ / This parched body that only desires will –]_

_[Imbue itself into the night with filthy fingertips / And wrench you open until you're torn to shreds / And its peeling emotions will creak in a shallow sleep / If it can erase just about everything entirely right now.]_

[The sun will rise, so close your eyes / Downfallen! (Fallen!) Falling! / Hold inside / Just HOWLING in the shadows . . .]

Adam didn't notice some of the other Riders coming in, so caught up he was in the song he was singing, as though with every word he sang he came closer to exorcising his inner demons. He hadn't thought his contract with the dragon was worth the price he'd paid, so he pledged himself to the darkness . . . to Xaviax . . . and knew he would spend the rest of his lifetime paying for it. Hunt's scorn and his own guilt were proof of that.

Speaking of those Riders, Len and Kase had come over, technically on a date of their own, but Kase had wanted to see for herself how things went between Adam and Moka without using the mirrors to spy on them. It hadn't been easy getting Kurumu and Mizore to accept the terms of the arrangement when Moka had won the first date, but the assurance that they'd have their own chances with Adam pacified them somewhat.

"Is that Adam?" Len asked, looking up at the Jumbotron-like outdoor screen projecting the dark dragon Rider's image as he sang.

Kase smiled affectionately. "Look at him go."

_[While struck __by the incessantly pouring rain / I dug my claws deep into your clinging back.]_

[I don't need anything anymore / (No one else can take my place) / I don't see the same way as before / (I've been lost without a trace.)]

_[As if to interrupt the continuation of __/ Someone's touching my dream, my locked-away heart will –]_

_[Embrace you many times over with filthy fingertips / And aimlessly reel you in close / And its fleeting memories will blur with the remaining pain / Even if everything it has obtained is a mistake.]_

_[With power that awakens each time I lose something, I will –]_

_[Imbue myself into the night with these filthy wings__ / And wrench you open until you're torn to shreds / And my peeling emotions will creak in my shallow sleep / If I can erase just about everything entirely right now.]_

"He used to practice a lot, when we were starting out," Len remarked quietly to Kase. "But he did it less and less, as the war got harder to cope with. I guess he felt like he didn't have time for it anymore."

"We never asked him what he'd wanted to be before he became a Rider," Kase mused regretfully. "Then again, I don't think any of us really talked about our old lives."

Len looked up at Adam, noticing to his amusement that there were plenty of girls in the audience who liked the sound of his voice, if their reactions were anything to go by. A sad sigh escaped his lips at hearing the pain-laced energy in Adam's voice. He'd known Adam felt bad, but he didn't know how bad he really felt until seeing him sing.

"Music helps us express things we can't put in words, Len," Kase whispered, leaning softly against his shoulder as her lips brushed his ear.

[The sun will rise, so close your eyes / Downfallen! (Fallen!) Falling! / Give me sight to see inside! / I'm calling . . . / Take a bite, night by night! / Downfallen! (Fallen!) Falling! / Hold inside / Just HOWLING in the shadows . . .]

* * *

As Adam finished singing, the music took close to a minute to wrap up, Adam thumping his foot in tune with the beat until it stopped. The audience applauded enthusiastically, with Moka cheering the loudest before she came up to the stage and embraced Adam tightly. "You were great!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," Adam whispered. "I'm glad you think so."

Kase smiled as she looked up at the embracing Adam and Moka. "I guess it all turned out perfectly, after all."

While Len, Kase, Adam, and Moka were enjoying themselves, a leather-suited female figure on a silver Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle with neon-blue accents gazed coldly at Adam and Moka from a safe distance. She lifted the visor of her helmet, revealing bright blue eyes aglitter with malice before pulling out a black case with a golden wasp crest in its center. One card slipped from the case, bearing the symbol of a humanoid silver wasp with blue eyes.

"You're dead, Kamen Rider."

She shut her visor over her face and rode away, right into the rippling surface of a mirror portal . . . that nobody ever saw, and if they had – so much for them.

Next: Knight of Black Dreams

* * *

Endnotes: How'd everybody like Adam's date with Moka? If you did, guess what; there's more dates for Adam! He'll be out with Kurumu, Mizore, _and_ Yukari . . . separately, of course, and with Yukari it's not really a "date" so much as two friends on an outing. Really, people, lolicon is not my thing . . . and it looks like Adam isn't the only one getting some romance. Who knew Michelle Walsh had a soft side –and for Eubulon, no less?

There is trouble brewing, though. Adam is slowly transforming into something horrible, and he fears himself helpless to stop these changes within him, never mind what he'll do to his comrades . . . or to the girls he loves. Another of Xaviax's Riders awaits the right moment to strike against Eubulon's Riders on behalf of her dark master, but does she serve another as well?

For the record, the songs sung by Moka and Adam are, respectively, "Dancing in the Velvet Moon" by Moka's VA Nana Mizuki, the ending theme for the anime of Rosario + Vampire, and "HOWLING" by Abingdon Boy School, the opening theme of Darker Than BLACK. The first I thought would be a nice shout-out to the R+V anime, and the second was just for fun . . . and both were surprisingly apt for describing what's going on behind our favorite lovebirds' eyes. In case you can't guess, the italicized lyrics are in translated Japanese and the ones in standard font are English to begin with.

* * *

**Rider Fashion Check!**  
Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Welcome to a new edition of_** Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced. "I'm your sensational and sexy host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much smarter, much cuter co-host Yukari Sendo!" the witch girl beside her declared, earning her a glare from Kurumu.

"I still have the bigger boobs," Kurumu remarked snidely.

"Whatever," Yukari scoffed. "Right now, we're here to discuss the Kamen Rider that began it all . . . the one the story revolves around – we introduce to you, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight!"

The screen behind Kurumu and Yukari flashed to life with the image of a red-suited figure with black-and-silver armor covering his chest, shoulders, elbows, knees, forearms, and shins, and a grilled silver visor covering his face. "Adam was the first Kamen Rider Dragon Knight," Kurumu explained, "one of Master Eubulon's original 12 recruits when he needed a fighting force to defend the mirror world of Ventara from the evil of Xaviax!"

"And he was the best!" Yukari piped up.

"Yeah, but when Eubulon disappeared after their last confrontation with Xaviax, the Riders were trapped in the life they had chosen," Kurumu further explained. "Most of them learned to cope, but Adam took it the hardest, probably because he was still so young. One day, he fell in love with a girl . . . and because of that love, Xaviax tricked him into betraying his fellow Riders, all under the promise that he'd be free to live in happiness with that girl."

"And his twin from Earth, Kit Taylor, was unwittingly recruited by Xaviax to become _his_ Dragon Knight – but thanks to his friendship with Kamen Riders Wing Knight and Siren, he resisted Xaviax's tricks," Yukari added. "When Kit was taken down, Xaviax took back the Dragon Deck and forced Adam back into the role by threatening to let Sarah know just where she really was and just _who_ was responsible for it."

"I'll admit, Kit's a good Dragon Knight, but he's no match for Adam!" Kurumu interjected. "Especially since the Onyx Deck is an upgraded version of the Dragon Deck and thus even stronger!"

"Yeah, but they have the exact same moves," Yukari commented. "The Visor on his left arm is where he slots his Advent Cards, just like with the Onyx Armor. He even has the same weapons . . . it's just that Dragon Knight's are colored red – and so is his Advent Beast – and Onyx's are colored black, and again, so is _his_ Advent Beast."

"But what about this?" Kurumu offered, pressing a button, and Dragon Knight's image changed, his armor turning bright red with gold accents while the suit underneath turned black. His grilled visor changed somewhat, becoming more ornate as the insect-like red eyes underneath became more prominent . . . and a pair of gold antennae protruded from the center of that visor. His Drag-Visor changed, too, transforming from a gauntlet brace into a dragon-like gun.

"Survive Mode!" Yukari exclaimed. "Awesome!"

"Uh-huh," Kurumu agreed with a wide grin. "With Survive Mode, he has new moves like Shoot Vent and Strange Vent. Shoot Vent allows him to direct Dragranzer's fire, while Strange Vent enables him to copy the next card his opponent intends to use . . . like so." The image shifted to Survive Mode Dragon Knight versus Survive Mode Wing Knight, with Dragon Knight slotting his own Trick Vent.

"What's he doing?" Yukari asked.

"This is from when Xaviax had his hooks in Adam," Kurumu replied. "He psyched him out by tricking him into thinking that Eubulon and all the other Riders hated him to get him to take Len down."

"_Fight fire with fire,"_ the on-screen Wing Knight snarled after being unable to hit any of the Dragon Knights created by Adam's imitation of the Darkness Illusion, at which point he unveiled the original Trick Vent and split into three himself to fight Dragon Knight.

Yukari stared at the screen in sadness and horror as she watched what very well could have been the total disintegration of Adam and Len's friendship. She clenched her fists with anger, not at Adam or Len, but at Xaviax for screwing Adam up so badly that he didn't even know who his real friends were anymore.

"Anyway . . ." Kurumu interrupted, changing the image on the screen to Dragon Knight and Wing Knight, in Survive Mode again, but working together this time. "This is what happens when Dragon Knight unleashes his Final Vent while in Survive Mode!"

The image shown was that of Dragon Knight jumping on Dragranzer's back and riding it into battle as Dragranzer transformed into a dragon-designed motorcycle, racing through Mirror Monsters that hadn't been taken down already by the dragon's fireballs. "Awesome!" Yukari cheered. "Is this from the final battle?"

"Yeah," Kurumu confirmed with a smile. "Pretty cool."

"Hey, what's going on?" a familiar voice asked, and Kurumu and Yukari turned to see Kit Taylor, the current Dragon Knight, in their midst. "Oh, hey, Kurumu. Hey, Yukari." It was not impossible to tell that Kit was blushing when he saw Kurumu.

"Oh, hey, Kit," Kurumu greeted. "We were just talking about Dragon Knight!"

"Me?" Kit wondered.

"You _and_ Adam," Kurumu amended. "How does it feel for both of you to have been Dragon Knight _and_ Onyx?"

"Symmetry, kinda," Kit replied sheepishly. "I've been getting used to it. Being in Ventara isn't so different from Earth, but history kinda played out differently on Ventara from what I remember of history on Earth, so there're still some things I'm confused by. Like, the current Japanese Prime Minister in Ventara is a guy called Takeshi Hongo, and I think he was some kind of super-soldier in the JSDF before he went into politics."

"Super-soldier?" Yukari repeated.

"Yeah, I think," Kit answered. "Something to do with special ops or whatever." He looked at the screen and smiled. "I remember that fight. Almost didn't think we were going to make it, but hey . . . we did. And Ventara's been getting back on its feet since."

"Oh, Kit . . ." Kurumu swooned, prompting Yukari to snicker.

"Hey, if you want him so badly, take him," the young witch remarked. "Means Adam gets to stay with me and Moka and not have to worry about being suffocated by your big boobs all the time!"

Kit blushed redder, while Kurumu flushed with jealous anger. "Why, you –!"

That was when Kit stepped in front of the camera. "I don't know what this is, but I gotta do something before those two kill each other, or Adam will never let me hear the end of it." He paused, contemplating the camera before him. "Maybe I should tell Master Eubulon about this thing. He ought to know what it is." Then he heard an alert. "Hey, girls! There's some kind of transmission coming in!"

"You get it!" Kurumu shouted.

"Ok . . ." Kit murmured. "Trent gave me a few pointers, so it shouldn't be this hard . . ." He went fiddling with the keyboard, and then the transmission came in loud and clear:

* * *

A Kamen Rider on a heavily modified magenta Honda Fireblade lunges out of a mirrored glass panel, startling the molting larval monsters about to capture an innocent young girl. This Kamen Rider is also garbed in magenta armor over a black bio-sheath_ and wields a broadsword as his default weapon. Wasting no time, he slashes through the larval monsters in a haze of flame and then vanishes, leaving behind the girl . . . and a certain werewolf-in-disguise with a camera in his hands._

"_Who is this guy?" an average-looking teenage boy in the standard uniform of Yokai Academy asks, looking through the pictures of the Kamen Rider._

"_He's the Kamen [Masked] Rider__ of Yokai Academy, that's who!" the werewolf-in-disguise, Ginei Morioka, replies. "This is big news! We got a vigilante biker riding around in high-tech armor of some kind kicking the crap out of monsters trying to kidnap innocent girls so they can rape them!"_

_A beautiful young girl in a yellow sweater vest that looks as though it can hardly hold in her large chest is about to be captured by a monstrous spider creature in the mirror when a very familiar-looking man steps in and yanks her away. "Kuyo!" the girl shouts in terror._

_This man has long blond hair, golden eyes, and strange markings on his otherwise handsome face, and is dressed in a black uniform. But he is not who this girl seems to believe he is . . . and he proves it when he defends her swiftly and decisively from the monsters coming at her._

"_I'm a friend . . . and I'm going to deal with them." He pulls out a magenta card case with a gold firebird crest, and thrusts it at the mirror. "Stay here. I don't want you getting hurt."_

_The average-looking boy stares at the bronze card case in his hands, marked by the golden crest of an eagle. "I'll fight this time. I won't let my friends suffer as they fight for me." Determination grows in his gentle brown eyes as he raises the card case to the mirror. "No . . . I'll fight for them now."_

"_Do you understand, Tsukune?" the unearthly blond man inquires ruefully. "You're a Kamen Rider now. Kamen Rider Lacuna."_

"_And that makes you . . ."_

"_Your sempai, Kamen Rider Haze. You and I are all that stands between this world and Xaviax's wrath."_

"_Then I'll fight with you, Haze-sempai, to protect my friends, to protect everyone."_

"_. . . Together, we'll be stronger . . ."_


	26. Knight of Black Dreams

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 26: "Knight of Black Dreams"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and related materials belong to Steve and Michael Wang, Ishinomori Productions, Toei, and Adness Entertainment. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media, and I make no money from the use of its characters or the characters of Dragon Knight in this story. This is solely about self-amusement.

Author's note: It's been quite a while since I last posted, hasn't it? Sorry for that, been struggling for these last few months to recover the will to write something. In any case, I'm feeling inspired again, so it's time to ride.

Who is that new Rider with the Buzzstinger Contract Beast(s)? What about that wolf-themed knight called Silver Fang; who is _he_ and what connection did he have to Kuyo? What kind of transformation will this "soul evolution" Adam is experiencing force on him, and will it be to his salvation . . . or his destruction? In lighter news, will Kase running interference help Adam's love life go a little more smoothly, or will some unforeseen complication just turn things around for the worst? For the answers to all those questions and others, keep reading.

* * *

It was sunset when Adam and Moka made it back to the hotel where the Riders were staying, Moka riding with Adam. "I had a good time today, Adam," she said.

Adam smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Moka."

"And I'm glad my first kiss was with you . . ." she added softly.

"So am I," Adam whispered. He didn't know why, but the thought of one of those bastards that had gone after Moka back at Yokai Academy taking her first kiss – and taking more, if they'd had their way – made him seethe with tightly contained murderous fury. He calmed himself when he remembered that they were nowhere near Moka now, and even if they were, he'd be able to deal with them . . . at least until Inner Moka took them off his hands.

As they went back into the hotel, arm in arm, they were confronted by Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, Ruby, Gin, Len, Kase, and Nolan. "Were you guys waiting up long?" Adam asked.

"No," Gin replied with an impish smirk. "Just curious about how much of a good time you two had."

"We just had fun at the festival," Moka responded.

"Oh, I heard . . ." Gin remarked. "You have a lovely singing voice, Moka. You, Adam, I'm not so sure about."

Adam snorted. "Whatever. You're just jealous I can carry a tune at all. Don't think I didn't hear you howling in the shower."

"You're the one howling in the shadows, man," Gin rejoined.

Len snickered slightly and Kase looked generally amused. Kurumu and Mizore didn't look quite so happy, but Kurumu had a clear pout on her face while Mizore's placid expression was only belied by her slightly narrowed eyes. Adam sniffed and walked up to the two girls, embracing them both in turn.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be taking you out, too."

Both Kurumu and Mizore blushed, particularly when Adam hugged them, but it was the ever-effusive Kurumu who responded by pulling Adam's head into her voluptuous chest. "Oh, that makes me so happy!" she squealed. "I'll make sure we have a good time together, I swear it!"

Len cleared his throat. "He kinda needs to breathe, Kurumu. It's a funny little human thing."

Kurumu reluctantly let go of Adam, who was now very red in the face both from embarrassment and lack of air. Len's words, meant in jest, echoed in his mind. _"It's a funny little human thing."_

_That's the thing, Len,_ Adam thought ruefully. _I'm not even sure I'm human anymore._ Aloud, "I'm gonna go train up by myself, and then I'm going to bed. See you around, you guys." He kissed Moka on the cheek. "Have some nice dreams tonight, Moka." With that, he was gone with nary a look back, leaving the others to look at the spot he'd just occupied with some concern.

"Is something on his mind?" Gin wondered.

"Yeah," Nolan admitted.

* * *

"_You can't run forever, Adam," his own voice, only colder and crueler, snarled from the shadows as Kamen Rider Onyx rode through the night._

"_Who says I'm running, you son of a bitch?" Onyx snarled, only to grind to a stop when he saw a shadowy biker parked across the street ahead of him. Onyx angrily got off his bike and stalked up toward the figure, reaching to grab him by the collar when the figure grabbed his outstretched arm in a death grip._

"_You _are_ running," the figure snarled, and stepped into the faint light just enough for Onyx to see a mirror image of himself . . . only with red accents on otherwise pitch black armor. "Running from the truth, running from who and what you really are. It's so pathetic I can't even bring myself to feel sorry for you."_

"_You're not me!" Onyx snarled, and punched his doppelganger. His doppelganger stumbled and fell, only to kick out and knock Onyx's legs out from underneath him before pinning him forcefully._

"_Aren't I?" the doppelganger sneered. "All you are, all you've ever been, all you ever will be . . . I represent the truth of all that. The sooner you learn to embrace it, the sooner you'll be at peace with yourself."_

"_I'll _never_ become you!" Onyx screamed furiously._

SWORD VENT.

_With a furious slash of the Drag Saber, Onyx forced his doppelganger off him and sprang to his feet.__ His doppelganger merely stared back at him almost impassively, and slotted his own Sword Vent, calling a black-and-red Drag Saber that he used to attack Onyx. The two dark dragon Riders clashed swords, slashing and striking at each other viciously._

"_You really think this is going to be the end of it?" the doppelganger sneered. "No, Adam, this is just the beginning."_

STRIKE VENT.

* * *

That was when Adam woke up, the nightmare image of a black-and-red draconic Advent Beast striking him with crimson flame burned onto his mind's eye. Feeling uncomfortably damp, Adam looked down and realized that he'd soaked his sheets – and his sleepwear – with his sweat.

"Damn it," he murmured, running his hands through his hair. "What is happening to me?"

He looked at the curtained window, seeing faint beams of sunlight shining through it. "Might as well get up," he muttered to himself, and threw off his bedcovers as he got out of bed. Stuffing the covers somewhere for later washing, he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before gargling six cupfuls of mouthwash. He heard a slight giggle coming from inside the shower area, and in his post-nightmare crankiness, turned and practically ripped the curtain open. The sight of a nude and glistening Kurumu immediately shocked him into total wakefulness.

"Kurumu!" he shouted in astonishment.

Kurumu let out a soft giggle. "Did I startle you, Adam? Sorry, I was just drying off . . ." Despite her attempts to seem nonchalant, the red tint of her cheeks – the ones on her _face_ – gave away her chagrin.

Adam was quite embarrassed himself, and doing his best to keep his eyes exclusively above Kurumu's shoulders, no matter how tempted he was to see her naked breasts . . . or confirm that her hair color was natural. "Sorry . . ." he whispered. "I'll . . . I'll just wait outside." He moved to leave, but Kurumu had gently grabbed his arm to stop him.

"It's ok," she comforted him. "Just keep your eyes closed, if you want to."

"And what do you think _you're_ doing trying to seduce _my_ future husband like that?" an icy calm voice asked, alerting Adam and Kurumu to Mizore's presence. A brief glance showed Adam that Mizore had opted to wear her standard Lycra crop top (the kind she wore under her customary oversized sweatshirt) and a pair of cotton shorts as her sleepwear. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as he noted that this was the first time he'd gotten to see this much of Mizore's body, but he managed to keep his composure.

"It was my fault, Mizore," he said. "I didn't know she was in here."

Mizore's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to ascertain the truth of that statement. Her expression soon softened, letting him know that he was off the hook – but not necessarily Kurumu, whom she had made clear she saw as a rival for Adam's affections. Kurumu herself wasn't willing to let Mizore off the hook, either, and she let the other girl know that.

"And are you trying to seduce _my_ Destined One in that getup?" she taunted the snow girl.

Mizore scowled, and Adam looked between her and Kurumu before speaking. "Come on, there's no need to fight. It was just an accident, that's all. Nobody needs to get hurt over this."

Mizore and Kurumu reluctantly calmed themselves. "For you, Adam," Mizore whispered coolly as she got closer to him. "Your breath smells minty. How much mouthwash did you use?"

"Six cups," Adam admitted bashfully.

"Six . . ." Mizore repeated softly, as though tasting the word. "Perhaps you should try one of my lollipops. They taste quite nice."

"You probably need them way more than I do," Adam demurred.

"I can show you where I get my best," Mizore offered. "You can use your mirror-walking ability to get us there."

"I'll consider it when we go on our date," Adam responded, prompting an irritated growl from Kurumu.

"Hey, Mizore!" she shouted. "Keep flirting with my Destined One like that –!"

"And what, bazooka girl?" the snow girl retorted coolly.

Adam cleared his throat. "It's just a friendly chat, Kurumu. No need to lose your head." He turned to Mizore. "It'd be nice if you wouldn't egg her on like that."

Both girls looked sufficiently chastised at those statements, prompting Adam's expression to soften into a gentle smile. "Come on. Let's give Kurumu some privacy so she can dry off in peace."

"I'm actually finished," Kurumu interjected, prompting Adam to turn and see that she had her towel wrapped around her body. The poor towel, however, was straining to contain her bountiful bosom, leaving the hem rather short and exposing much of her creamy legs. Adam tried not to look too hard, but Kurumu could tell he liked what he saw, and it made her smile.

"Oh, uh, all right," Adam responded, startled back to reality by the sound of her voice. "I'll just . . . take my shower now."

"We could save water if we used the shower together," Mizore offered in a deadpan tone belied by the desire in her eyes.

"It's cool," Adam demurred, turning her down gently but firmly.

"You heard him, stalker girl," Kurumu jibed.

Mizore stoically glared at Kurumu. "Bazooka girl, I'm warning you . . ."

Adam was in the shower, having already taken off his sleeping pants and thrown them outside, and popped his head out to cut in. "No, _I'm _warning you _both:_ Lay off each other, at least for me."

"We're sorry, Adam," the girls murmured almost in unison.

"Don't be," Adam replied, pausing to kiss them both on the cheek before disappearing behind the curtain to start his shower. The sound of the running water let both girls know that their would-be paramour would be busy for a while, and they left the bathroom together. After he heard the door close, Adam slumped onto the shower floor, curled up in a ball of self-loathing.

_You're getting good at playing with their hearts,_ the accusatory voice whispered in his mind. _Stringing them along . . . when Moka's the one you've wanted all this time. What are they to you? Backup in case Inner Moka tells you to step off?_

_Shut up,_ Adam snarled, rising up and turning to punch the tile wall hard enough to make it and the bones of his hand crack audibly. Too angry with himself to care about the pain, he punched the wall again, making the cracks in the wall spread like a spider web as the cracks in the bones of his hand worsened.

_Shutting me up with pain?_ Adam heard the voice ask. _Or just taking it out on yourself?_

Adam looked at his hand, sure it was broken by this point, but the bones reset themselves with a harsh flex of his fingers. The shower washed away the blood on his hand, revealing nothing but skin where there should have been horrific scrapes. "I really am a monster . . ." he muttered to himself.

_And the charade keeps going,_ the voice accused. _You keep it going because you love their attention, you love seeing their love for you in their eyes, and it makes you feel like maybe you're someone who actually deserves them. But you don't, and you never will . . ._

Adam let the shower water bear down on him, drenching him to the point that his hair hung limply in his eyes, sticking to his head. He wiped his hair from his eyes, and if he'd been within sight of a mirror, he would have realized that his eyes had turned vampire red. It was for the best; if he'd seen how he looked, he would have tried to break the mirror out of sheer self-hatred, which would have been pointless. All he could do was curse himself, his weakness . . . everything. . . .

* * *

Inside their shared room, Kurumu got dressed while Mizore lingered in the doorway. "According to the luck of the draw, you get to go next, Kurumu," Mizore murmured.

"I know!" Kurumu squealed. "That's why I'm dressing for success!"

The outfit Kurumu had picked was a light blue peasant top, almost matching her hair, with a lacy bust and a flowing midriff that was slit in the middle. Complementing the top was a dark blue pleated miniskirt and her patent leather shoes and bunched-up white socks would nicely round out the outfit. "So cute!" she squealed. "He'll fall for me in no time!"

"Don't hold your breath, you floozy," Mizore deadpanned.

"Who are you calling a floozy?" Kurumu yelled. "Especially with the way you were all over Adam to let you into the shower with him! Don't think I don't know what you were trying to do!"

"It is a wifely duty to help her husband cleanse himself of the detritus of the night," Mizore answered coolly. "It would have been good practice for the future."

"Keep dreaming, stalker!" Kurumu retorted. "Adam's mine! I'll never let you have him!"

"I think that is up to Adam . . ." Mizore responded in the deadpan tone she used so easily.

"And _I'm_ the better choice!" Kurumu declared. "He needs someone to attend to his manly needs!"

Mizore snorted quietly. "Enjoy your date . . . Kurumu."

Those four simple words startled Kurumu. "Mizore . . ." She blushed, her face almost luminescent. "You really mean . . ."

"We are still rivals," Mizore clarified. "But that is no reason I cannot wish you well."

"Thanks," Kurumu breathed out. "I think."

* * *

The morning went by without much in the way of incident. Hunt was still recovering and keeping his distance from Adam, dark glowers in his direction notwithstanding. The others mostly gave Adam space, perhaps sensing that he was troubled about something, although Cam decided to be a smartass and quip about "fixing the shower tile, no charge." Adam pretended not to acknowledge him or even know what he was talking about.

He did catch the meaningful looks Kurumu sent his way, making him suspect something was up. He pretended not to have a clue and just smiled at her while eating the breakfast Moka had once again helped prepare. "This tastes great," he enthused quietly. "Thanks, Moka."

"It was no problem . . ." Moka demurred.

"Did you happen to use herbs in this?" Quinn wondered aloud.

"Yes, why?" Moka asked.

"You gave me an idea," Quinn replied.

"Quinn, you know, I know, we all know, you can't cook to save your life!" Ian protested.

"The man's been getting better!" Van defended.

"Not taking my chances," Ian insisted.

"C'mon, Ian, give a brother-in-arms a chance," Chance quipped.

"Yeah, he can't have gotten _worse,_" Len chimed in.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Len," Quinn jibed.

"No problem, Quinn," Len responded as though the stingray Rider had been serious.

"I'd like to try your cooking sometime, Quinn," Yukari offered. "Maybe I can help! I'm really good at that sort of thing, or at least that's what Moka tells me!"

Quinn smiled. "The help would be appreciated."

That was when Eubulon stepped in, having been busy with matters elsewhere. "I hate to interrupt this beautiful banquet, but I have dire news."

"What would that be, Master Eubulon?" Nolan asked.

"Xaviax's attack wasn't just to get at Depth Charge," Eubulon replied. "The attack was meant to distract us while JTC used his likeness to Price to infiltrate our database and copy the future Rider designs I was working on."

"Future Rider designs?" Kase repeated.

"The Rider Gears produced by Smart Brain, the Rouser Systems, and a specialized armored unit I call the Masque Rider System," Eubulon confessed.

Len cursed aloud. "Now he can create his own Kamen Riders from scratch."

"Not quite," Eubulon amended. "He's still using pirated designs. And we have something – or some_one_ – else to consider."

"A new Rider?" Price asked.

"Not a Rider," Eubulon corrected. "But he may well be an ally. He calls himself Silver Fang, the Flying Wolf."

"Flying Wolf?" Gin asked through a mouthful of food. "What about him?"

"According to Tobi, this Silver Fang wielded dual swords with speed and skill beyond anything seen in most ordinary humans, speed like that of a werewolf under the light of a full moon," Eubulon explained.

"Sounds badass," Gin remarked nonchalantly.

"That reminds me, you disappeared in the thick of battle," Cam observed, "and it wasn't one of those 'fog of war' deals."

"I was saving your asses so fast you couldn't see me, anyway," Gin boasted.

"Yeah, right!" Yukari denied scornfully. "You probably ran away, you perverted coward!"

"Like I'm gonna take that from a flat-chested little girl like you!" Gin retorted heatedly.

Eubulon raised a hand to stop the ensuing squabble. "Silver Fang may well prove to be a valuable ally, or at the very least a variable Xaviax cannot so easily predict and thus might turn this fight to our advantage."

"Where is Tobi, anyway?" Adam asked.

"On a long-term mission," Eubulon replied. "Xaviax is beginning to strike in other dimensions and realities, and I need a vanguard to halt his path before he does to another world what he did to Ventara. Tobi volunteered."

"Why didn't he say anything?" Adam wondered, a note of hurt slipping into his voice.

"He didn't want your last memory of him to be him walking toward his death, if worst comes to worst," Eubulon answered. "I know that is not an answer that will make you feel better, but he felt it better this way, especially since – to quote him – 'he's in such fine hands as is.'"

Adam perked up slightly. "Really? He actually said that?"

"Yes," Eubulon confirmed.

"So Xaviax has the means to create even more Riders without being restricted to stolen Advent Decks," Van spoke up. "What does this mean for us?"

"We accelerate the Kamen Rider Program here on Earth and back on Ventara," Eubulon answered. "The sooner we have more Riders, the better."

"Are you sure they'll be ready?" Nolan asked.

"They'll have to be," Eubulon replied simply, yet utterly bleakly for all that simplicity.

The Newspaper Club girls sobered quickly. In the midst of all their anxiety over who would get to go out with Adam, they'd almost forgotten that there was an implacable enemy out there gunning for their world, the human world, and as many other worlds as he could reach. It was enough to make them feel regret for being so focused on winning Adam's affection that they felt like they'd ignored the danger they were all in.

Before things could get too bleak, Shizuka Nekonome entered the scene. "That was some nice fish you cooked for me, Eubulon-san!" she cheerfully declared, adding a cute catlike meow at the end.

Eubulon's hard expression melted into an amiable, friendly smile as he looked at Nekonome. "Thank you. I'm glad it met your standards."

"Don't be so modest!" Nekonome demurred. "You're a great cook!"

"It wasn't all me, Shizuka-san," Eubulon tried to politely brush off her compliments, but it was clear he was rather pleased with himself for making her so happy.

"Cutest thing you ever saw, huh?" Chance whispered to Price.

"If you're gonna make a joke about 'that,' I suggest not here," Price whispered back. This made Chance briefly scowl and playfully punch the cobra Rider in the shoulder.

"You suck."

"No, I _bite._ Cobra, remember?"

"Are you getting a sense of humor on me, Price?"

"The possibility exists."

"I see love in the air," Kurumu whispered, smiling giddily.

* * *

Later that day, Adam had gotten a note slipped from Kase as she'd passed him in the hall with nothing but a conspiratorial wink. He read the note quickly, and it said, _"Go to the big mall on the edge of the city. You'll find someone special waiting for you. –Kase."_

Adam smiled. "Wonder who it is this time," he muttered to himself as he went for his motorcycle. After starting the bike and putting on his helmet, he revved the engine and rode away from the hotel. As he rode down the city streets, he got the creeping feeling someone was following him. Chancing a look at the reflective glass that made up much of the skyscraper facades framing the streets, he saw another rider, this one on a silver-and-neon blue Suzuki Hayabusa and clad in biker leathers, a matching black jacket and short shorts, with a silver-and-blue helmet covering her face.

The funny thing was that rider was right next to him . . . but not riding on the same street as him. No, she seemed to exist solely in the mirror image reflected by the skyscrapers he passed. As a Kamen Rider, Adam knew what this meant almost instinctively: _She's another Rider, and she's probably working for Xaviax._

As if mocking him, the rider in the mirror image nodded to him like she was smirking behind her helmet. Adam gritted his teeth and did a tight 90-degree turn that sent him lunging across the street . . . and into the mirror, disappearing through the hidden portal. He drew his Advent Deck as he passed through, forming his Advent Belt and slamming the card deck into its buckle. "Kamen Rider," he whispered viciously just before both rider and bike transformed into the ominous black armor of Kamen Rider Onyx.

Emerging on the other side of the mirror and into Ventara, Adam got off his transformed bike. "You got what you wanted!" he shouted. "I'm right here! Come and get me!"

_TRICK VENT._

"So eager to die," a feminine voice mocked him, her voice cruel yet sultry. The next thing Onyx knew, he was being attacked by a silver blur, slicing into his armor again and again with each pass coming at speeds so high he couldn't even see his attacker. After being literally floored by the assault, Onyx decided it was time to fight back.

_STRIKE VENT._

The Black Drag Claw attached itself to Onyx's right arm and he pointed it at the ghostlike image of what he supposed was his foe, directing a blast of black flame at said foe courtesy of Dragblacker. When the flames died out, there was nothing left, as though the target had been vaporized, but Onyx didn't think he'd be that lucky.

"Where are you?" he demanded furiously.

The blitz attack came again, vicious sword strikes sparking against and all over his armor without their source being seen. Onyx slotted his own Sword Vent and attempted to retaliate, but his attacker was so fast they seemed beyond his ability to sense or respond to those attacks. Again, Onyx was thrown to the ground, but he didn't let that stop him from getting up and trying to attack again. Unfortunately, his sword was blocked by what looked like a long needle-like blade with a silver basket hilt designed after a wasp's body, and its wielder was a silver-and-black Kamen Rider with a grilled visor styled after a wasp's head.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Kamen Rider Argent," the new Rider replied, and the voice was very female.

"You're working for Xaviax, aren't you?" he snapped.

"Xaviax . . . is just part of the plan," Argent sneered, before snapping her leg out into a front kick to his stomach that sent him flying close to the mirror he'd come out from. She stood so that it was her profile facing him and swiped her rapier as though trying to get blood off it. "Go home and let one of your sluts clean you up. You're a disgrace."

"_I'm_ the disgrace?" Onyx panted angrily. "_I_ don't work for _Xaviax!_"

"You did once," Argent answered coolly. "What changed between you two? He ask a little too much of you?"

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker slithered out of a darkened mirror panel as Onyx rushed into a flying kick boosted by the dark dragon's flames, intending to finish Argent off for that cruel statement. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't counting on Argent shielding herself at the last second with a unique Guard Vent. This summoned no less than _five_ Buzzstingers to spin around her in a protective formation that forcefully deflected the Dark Dragon Rider Kick.

"I'm not going to finish you now," Argent taunted. "That would be too easy. I'll take everything from you first, and _then_ I'll finish you. _Ja ne._"

With that, she was gone in a flash, leaving behind a battered and beaten Onyx, who punched the ground furiously. Straightening up, he dispelled his Kamen Rider armor, revealing his usual outfit of a silver-striped black leather jacket over a silver-decaled dark T-shirt and equally dark jeans. He put on his helmet, got back on his bike, and rode off to find somewhere he could shift back to Earth without being seen by onlookers.

As he rode, it dawned on him just how stupid mirror-jumping in the middle of a street full of people was. Granted, Michelle and the rest of the No-Men would do their part to keep people from making a big deal of it. The conspiracy nuts would go to their blogs and claim alien activity being covered up by the Feds, but most ordinary people who were there would convince themselves (or be forcefully convinced) that it was just a hallucination of some kind. Still, he was skating on thin ice with the ultra-professional secret agent as it was, and this wouldn't help matters any.

When he finally crossed back into Earth, he gulped as he realized something. He was supposed to be on a date, and whoever had been chosen as the lucky girl was probably not feeling so lucky – _if_ she didn't think she hadn't been outright stood up. He revved his engine to accelerate, not wanting to be completely on the wrong side of Kurumu or Yukari or . . . God forbid . . . Mizore.

Next: Black-and-White Reverie

* * *

Endnotes: There you have it, the 26th chapter of Onyx and Vampire is finished. I know I promised an Adam/Kurumu date, and I _will_ deliver – it'll just be next chapter as opposed to this one. I suppose it's my fault for taking so many detours during the writing process, but my creative spark went to strange places and I had no choice but to follow. For the most part, I think I managed to strike a decent balance between levity and angst, although the angst isn't going away anytime soon. This is Adam; angst is pretty much the whole point of his character, whether in canon or in this fic.

In any case, Kamen Rider Argent has revealed herself to Adam, but what is her identity behind her mask and what does she mean when she says that Xaviax is just "part of the plan?" Is there a hidden plan at work whose mastermind's hand isn't so easily discernable, and if so, is he working with or against Xaviax? Or is it more complicated than it looks?

Speaking of complications, it seems that Eubulon and Shizuka are developing quite the rapport, but what about the ever-aloof Michelle Walsh? And what about that date Adam blew off to pursue Kamen Rider Argent? Whichever one of the girls she is, he'd better pray she's in the mood to listen to his explanation of his lateness, or he'll be in a bigger world of pain than anything Xaviax could do to him. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, after all.

* * *

**Rider Fashion Check!  
**Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Why didn't he show up for our date?" Kurumu bawled.

"Because he was afraid you'd suffocate him with your boobs," Yukari sniped.

"Am I really that undesirable to him!" Kurumu wondered tearfully. "Do I come on too forcefully? Do I scare him!"

Yukari couldn't find it in herself to joke anymore. This was really sad – the kind of sad she wouldn't wish on even Kurumu, no matter how jealous she was of the older girl's bountiful body. She patted Kurumu on the back. "I'm sure he's just running late. Who knows? Maybe one of Xaviax's goons kidnapped him."

Kurumu's head snapped up, her eyes afire with wrath. "That bastard! It just figures he'd try to keep me from Adam and destroy whatever happiness he sees Adam getting! Well, here's a tip for you, you evil piece of filth: Adam's mine, and I'm not letting you take him from me!" Her wings, tail, and talons extended from her back, backside, and fingers respectively as she went full succubus. "I'll teach you what happens to people who try to separate my Destined One from me!"

Yukari took a step back, unnerved by Kurumu's sudden mood swing from hysterically depressed to ferociously angry. "Uh, we got a show coming up!"

"Oh, all right!" Kurumu cheered up all of a sudden – _too_ suddenly, Yukari thought to herself. "Welcome, welcome to another episode of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_ I'm your host, the scintillating succubus Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much smarter, much better-grounded, and much cuter co-host Yukari Sendo!"

Kurumu interrupted to continue. "Today, we are here to talk about a Rider who doesn't get much publicity, especially compared to some others! His name is Kamen Rider –" she paused dramatically while turning on the screen that showed this Rider's image "– Spear!"

"Spear!" Yukari exclaimed.

"One of the unique things about Kamen Rider Spear is that he's contracted to multiple Advent Beasts!" Kurumu explained.

"A family of gazelle-type beasts, and gazelles are very known for their grace and beauty!" Yukari added.

"I wouldn't call these guys beautiful or graceful," Kurumu demurred, pressing a button to show the Zelles brutally mauling Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, and Sting. "Look at that! It's freaking scary!"

"That was when that jerk Albert Cho was controlling the Spear Deck," Yukari clarified. "He and his brother Danny, the Earth twin of Kamen Rider Axe, were contracted by Xaviax under the promise of getting in on the biggest heist in history. Then they made the mistake of helping JTC vent Sting . . . and when they went after Kit's dad that was when Kit had enough and, well . . ."

The screen shifted to a helpless Spear prone on the ground as Kit launched his Final Vent. "You know, I actually kind of feel sorry for him," Kurumu admitted reluctantly. "It's not like he didn't deserve it, but being abandoned like that by your own comrades . . ."

"Hey, no honor among thieves," Yukari brushed it off.

"Fortunately, Chase is a far nicer guy," Kurumu changed the subject. "Sometimes, he's so quiet you can barely guess what he's thinking or feeling, and other times he talks and talks and talks . . ."

"Like somebody I know," Yukari commented with a chuckle.

"Hey!" Kurumu protested.

"But in any case, Chase is a Muay Thai expert," Yukari continued. "It's his primary fighting style, which might be why his Final Vent is a knee strike instead of a kick like with Dragon Knight, Onyx, and Strike."

The screen image shifted to Spear in the middle of a fight, slamming his knees and elbows into his monstrous opponents to force some distance between him and them. Then he slotted his Final Vent card inside the Gazelle Visor mounted on his left knee. Immediately, the Zelles came out to beat the crap out of one particular monster before clearing out for Spear to throw himself into a flying knee that brutally collided with the monster's head, sending it crashing back into the ground, where it exploded in its death throes.

"Wow . . ." Kurumu uttered. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah, you gotta hand it to him, he's got style," Yukari agreed with a smile.

"Speaking of style, I like the fur trim he's got on his chest armor," Kurumu added. "It makes him look really cool."

"Uh-huh," Yukari agreed again, "but we're out of time! Stay tuned for our next session, where we'll discuss one of the most underrated Kamen Riders of all time – Kamen Rider Incisor! Same Rider time, same Rider channel!"

"What do you think this is, 'Batman'?" Kurumu asked.

"No, but you've got more important things to worry about, Kurumu!" Yukari retorted.

That was when Kurumu remembered. "You're right!" Her eyes began to well up with tears as she wailed mournfully. "Adam . . . where are you?"

Yukari sighed. "I actually feel sorry for her." Then she brightened up. "Until next time, this is Yukari Sendo, signing out!"


	27. Black Dragon's Reverie

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 27: "Black Dragon's Reverie"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, Ishinomori Productions, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, Shonen Jump, and VIZ Media. I make no money whatsoever from the use of either property in this story and the only other profit I derive from this story is personal entertainment and hopefully the approval of my readers.

Author's note: Well, it's quite the fine mess Adam has gotten himself into. Not only is he waging a desperate struggle against the darkness growing inside of him, he's also late for his date with Kurumu due to going after one of Xaviax's Riders! Kamen Rider Argent says Xaviax is just another part of "the plan," but whose plan is she really working for and who is she, anyway? More importantly, at least for right now, will Kurumu forgive Adam for his tardiness . . . and will Mizore enjoy _her_ date with Adam when it's time? For the answers to those and much more, read on!

* * *

Adam rolled his bike into the mall's adjacent multileveled parking lot, picking the closest level to the mall's main entrance. As he wheeled himself in, he saw Kurumu waiting for him in an outfit that was quite scandalous, to say the least. Specifically, it was a frilly orange top short enough to be the upper half of a bikini, the blue bow at its base emphasizing certain _assets_ of hers while baring the creamy skin of her midriff. Beneath that midriff, a ruffled orange miniskirt flared out around her curvy hips and complemented her legs quite well, and completing the outfit was a pair of knee-high white plats with thick heels.

"Hey, Kurumu . . ." he greeted her after pausing to catch the breath she'd stolen from him by showing up in that outfit.

"Yahoo!" Kurumu exclaimed cheerfully. "You _didn't_ stand me up! Who held you up?"

"How do you know it was a 'who'?" Adam asked warily. "And why would I stand you up?"

"I got worried when you didn't show up on time," Kurumu replied apologetically. "And there were some creepy guys sniffing around. One of them even thought I was some cheap streetwalker!"

Adam's eyes narrowed, a tint of vampire red flashing over his normal blues. _Kill, maim, burn. Kill, maim, burn. Kill . . ._ maim . . . **burn!** _Hunt the bastards that dared leer at your woman and make them _suffer _for daring to lay eyes on what is yours! _Those were the thoughts running through Adam's mind right now, thoughts that were not entirely his own but thoughts he was sorely tempted to give into. For Kurumu's sake, he clenched his fists tightly, the painful red crescents he'd dug into his palms bringing him back to sanity.

"I'm sorry," he answered, putting his helmet away and walking up to Kurumu so he could hug her. "I shouldn't have gone after her."

"Gone after whom?" Kurumu wondered aloud, sounding rather wary herself even as she felt comforted by Adam's embrace.

"Another Kamen Rider," Adam admitted. "Working for Xaviax. Kicked my ass all over half of Ventara."

"Are you all right?" Kurumu inquired, her voice rising in pitch to match her worry as she pulled back from the hug to look at Adam.

"I'm fine," Adam replied. "I wasn't going to stand you up on our date. Please believe me when I say that."

"I believe you," Kurumu whispered. Then she brightened up. "Now let's enjoy our date! I have the tickets to that movie _Samurai 2099!_ I know you've been dying to see it!"

"How do you know?" Adam wondered, his tone speaking of utter befuddlement.

"One of your friends told me you were into that stuff," Kurumu replied. "Now let's go! It's almost time!"

* * *

While entering the theater cradled within the walls of the mega-mall, Adam found himself noting the miracle that was a woman who could speed-walk in heels without slipping once. Then again, he mused to himself, Kurumu might be a little more justified than most on account of her being a succubus. Jolting him out of his thoughts was Kurumu pulling him down into the seat next to one she'd taken, and they were just in time for the previews.

Adam was just about to relax while seeing the widescreen icon of a familiar movie studio when a hard rock beat started to blare while a distorted, almost inhuman voice shouted: _"To rebuild my world, yours must be sacrificed!"_

The screen seemed to shatter, like a broken mirror, and as the "shards" fell, Adam saw very familiar images reflected in them . . . images of the Ventaran Kamen Riders. "I guess they really were serious about making a movie out of our adventures," he muttered.

"Hey, that's Siren-chan!" Kurumu squealed excitably. "And Wing-kun! And _you,_ Dragon-kun!"

Adam placed a warning hand on Kurumu's shoulder. "Pipe down. We don't want them knowing about us . . . and _Kit's_ 'Dragon-kun,' not me."

"But you were first . . ." Kurumu murmured with an adorable pout.

"_I am done pretending / You have failed to find__ what's left / I will suck you dry – again . . ."_

"**One betrayed all . . . and so all were condemned to chaos."** This screed played out over visions of Kamen Riders roaming desolated streets on their motorcycles and fighting bitterly in empty cityscapes.

"_Some are not worth saving / You are such a pretty mess / I will choke the life – within . . ."_

Within the shadows, the renegade Kamen Riders – Incisor, Torque, Thrust, Strike, and Axe – lurked. Emerging from those shadows was a dark figure with lurid red eyes staring out from behind his visor . . . and the figure bore a terrifying resemblance to Kamen Rider Dragon Knight.

"**Those who are left must save two worlds . . . but can they even save themselves?"** That screed played out over visions of Dragon Knight and Wing Knight struggling together and individually against various other Kamen Riders. One of the more notable individual fights was between Wing Knight and a rapidly "teleporting" Kamen Rider Wrath, while the other . . .

"_And now you wanna take me down / As if I even care / I am the monster in your head . . ."_

"**Look in the mirror, and see the truth within blackest flame . . ."**

. . . The other was between Dragon Knight and his pitch-black twin, Kamen Rider Onyx. It was a vicious match between equals and opposites, with the black-armored dragon Rider mirroring his scarlet counterpart so perfectly he was almost mocking him.

"_And I thought you'd learn by now / It seems you haven't yet / I am the venom in your skin . . ."_

"**And the puppeteer pulls everyone's strings . . . to make his darkest desires reality . . ."**

A demonic shadow with legions of red newt-like humanoids, white humanoid larvae, and blue humanoid dragonflies at his command stood over the Kamen Riders. As the shadow ominously clenched his fist, the verse concluded thus: _"And now your life . . . is broken!"_ The screen "shattered" again, the "shards" revealing images of trapped and helpless humans captured by various horrific monsters, skillful replications of the chimeras the Kamen Riders had fought.

"_After the lights go out on you / After your worthless life is through / I will remember how you scream . . ."_

"**The Riders will fight . . . the Riders will sacrifice . . . but will they win?"** This screed played out over the images of felled Riders being sucked into the Advent Void and images of Kamen Riders Strike and Torque teaming up with Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, and Siren to fight the terrible monsters that had enslaved their people.

"_I can't afford to care . . . I can't afford to care!"_ The title card of this movie superimposed itself over the image of the combating Riders, _Kamen Rider: Shattered Reflection,_ followed by the tagline and date of release.

"**Dive into the mirror . . . Fall 20XX."**

Adam let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. _That_ was more impressive a rendition of the Kamen Riders' adventures than he'd been expecting. Judging by the preview, though, it seemed that they'd be changing some things around . . . like having Kamen Rider Onyx as a villain in the real world instead of merely in nightmares. Of course, adaptations tended to put their "own" spins on the original material, and trailers were not always reliable indicators of the actual story.

"That was so cool!" Kurumu cheered. Lowering her voice after being angrily shushed by several nearby moviegoers, she continued on just as energetically to Adam. "Those were some neat special effects, weren't they? I was almost fooled into thinking they'd just videotaped you guys fighting!"

"Yeah . . ." Adam murmured warily. "They must have gotten someone with cash to burn."

A little over two hours later, the movie _Samurai 2099_ had ended. The movie was set in a near-future cybernetic wasteland where life was cheap, humans were even less human than the machines they made, and the only justice one could get was with one's own hands. The protagonist was a samurai biker whose personality boiled down to a constant struggle to "live honorably in a world with no honor," a man best defined as a futuristic knight-errant righting wrongs wherever he went.

* * *

"That was fun," Adam remarked.

"I know!" Kurumu enthused. "That samurai was so cool! He was like a knight riding in on a black horse . . ."

"That black horse was a motorcycle," Adam drawled.

"And he reminded me a lot of you," she went on. "That same sadness in his eyes, like a man who'd lost everything and was struggling to get it back . . ." Kurumu leaned particularly close to Adam at this point, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "If you feel sad, Adam, you can trust me with it. I'll be there for you. I won't turn you away."

_How the hell did talking about a movie turn into this?_ Adam asked himself. Then he gently gripped her shoulders while still keeping eye contact. "Thank you, Kurumu." He smiled for her. "What do you want to do now?"

"There's supposed to be an arcade around here," Kurumu replied, immediately brightening up. "I'll show you my dance moves, Adam! You'll love them!"

"Uh, how are you going to manage that with those heels?" Adam wondered out loud.

"You just leave that to me!" Kurumu cheerfully dismissed his concern. "I'll have no problem!"

When they reached the arcade, there was indeed a Dance-Dance Revolution game, and somebody was just done using it. Feeding the machine enough money for Kurumu to have a go for as long as she could keep it up, Adam stood back and prepared to see just how she would do it with her heels on. Indeed, some girls were looking quite skeptically at her, too, and with no small amount of jealousy mixed in, given certain assets of hers.

He soon found out how exactly Kurumu intended to play when she put her foot on the stand and bent down to unzip her boot. If she was aware that this put her sky blue panties in view of some pervert, she didn't seem to pay it any mind. While Kurumu was occupied with her boot, Adam had surreptitiously gotten behind a pervert bold enough to have his cell phone camera out and ready and snatched said cell phone from his hand.

"I see you with this thing aimed at her ass again, you won't die – but you _will_ suffer," Adam threatened the pervert quietly. He slipped the cell phone into the other man's hand, and judging by how the man _very_ quickly put his cell phone back in his pocket, the message had been well-received. As he slipped back to Kurumu's side, he noticed that the other, more cautious perverts kept their hands outside their pants or jacket pockets, knowing better now. Adam allowed himself a brief wickedly triumphant smirk, satisfied that none of them would try anything with the one he held so dear.

By the time he got there, both of Kurumu's platform-heeled boots lay on the side of the stand, and Kurumu was dancing her heart out to a very danceable J-pop beat. Her exuberant movements, though, were giving many of the guys (and girls) a good view at the temptations beneath her flouncy skirt, but the guys were fortunately too transfixed to think of getting out their cameras. The girls were torn between wanting to scold Kurumu for her apparent lack of shame and being genuinely impressed, if not as transfixed as the guys, by her flexibility and agility on DDR.

"Ultimate high score . . ." Adam muttered in astonishment. "Kurumu, have you done this before?"

"Not very often . . ." Kurumu admitted shyly. "Did you like it?"

Adam smiled brightly. "Loved it."

"Now you come up and try!" Kurumu offered. "I'm sure you won't do too badly, and even if you do, I won't hold it against you!"

_What _would_ you hold against me?_ Adam silently quipped, only to catch himself. His expression went deadpan as a mask to conceal his self-mortification. _I think I've been around for a few too many of Chance's pickup lines._ Externally, he merely sighed in resignation and willed himself to smile. "Sure. You win."

Quickly feeding the machine the necessary coin for two-player, Adam took off his sneakers and waited for Kurumu to choose the song. It was still J-pop, but there seemed to be a little more rock in it, and it was still danceable. The two of them began to move, Adam's reflexes and sense of timing allowing him to keep up with Kurumu – although his reflexes were so amped that he was at first overshooting the machine.

Kurumu shot him a gentle but warning gaze. "You're trying too hard, Adam. Just relax and follow the beat."

Adam took her advice, and almost surprised himself with how much better he was doing. He was more surprised, though, by how much fun he was having, and were those cheers and applause he was hearing right then? Ignoring that, there was his excitement at dancing so closely with Kurumu, even with them being on opposite sides of a dancing game. The game ended with Adam losing to Kurumu, who was clearly the more experienced dancer, but he didn't do that badly, so he could care less . . . and it was worth it just to see her enjoy herself.

As they were putting their footwear back on after finishing with DDR, Adam couldn't help but spare some looks at Kurumu as she was sliding her feet into her platform heels, one by one. The sensual way the zippers slid up her boots to secure her graceful calves made a familiar part of him throb with desire, desire that he squashed tightly. He settled for a warning glare at the men who'd been watching them – or more accurately, just her – move, and smirked when he saw them flinch. If any untoward images wound up on "The Tube," the district hospitals' ICUs would be full for _years_ to come, and he wasn't sure that was just a bluff on his part.

Just as they were about to walk out, Kurumu spotted the motorcycle racing games and she turned a coquettish smile upon Adam. "Would you like to help me try that one out?"

"You know, a motorcycle game isn't really going to teach you about riding one in real life," Adam remarked wryly.

"It'll still be fun," Kurumu rejoined. "And you can always teach me to ride for real when you get the chance, right, Adam?"

"Yeah, I guess," Adam conceded. Arm in arm, they strolled to the bike racing game and Adam loaded the machine with the needed amount of coins. Kurumu settled onto the seat of the control console, which had been made to resemble a motorcycle's body for greater realism.

"I could use some help . . ." Kurumu admitted shyly. "Maybe if you get on behind me?"

"I don't think it's made for . . ." Adam started to protest, but stopped himself at the sight of Kurumu's pout. "All right, I'll try, but I don't think I'll fit."

"I'll make you fit," Kurumu replied with a saucy smile that sent more-than-pleasant chills down Adam's spine.

Indeed, she had made him fit. With a little squirming and wriggling, much of which Adam had to admit to himself he enjoyed, the two of them were sharing one motorcycle console. Adam gently guided Kurumu's hands onto the console handlebars and used his hands to position her arms for maximum leverage. Kurumu inhaled lowly, her face flushing red from the feeling of her desired lover's hands on her body.

"You twist that handle to rev the engine to build up speed," Adam instructed. "That metal thing is the brake, for when you need to slow down or stop. You control the bike's direction by leaning left or right with your body, but if you go too far in either direction without the right protection . . . you'll scrape your legs . . . and your legs are too pretty for that."

Kurumu's face turned a deeper red from hearing that last comment about her legs. "Adam . . ."

Adam caught himself, realizing what he'd just said. "Sorry . . . that was . . ."

"I don't mind," Kurumu demurred, the blush still on her face. "At least you're looking. And you're the only one I really want to look."

_For a succubus, she's quite shy,_ Adam mused to himself.

_She's a virgin,_ he found himself retorting to that last comment, also made by him. _Of course she's going to be shy. Succubae may be sex goddesses out of men's wildest fantasies, but this one is still an innocent . . . not like me . . ._

Kurumu rubbed her hand under Adam's, sending small reassuring waves through him that eased his troubled mind, prompting him to squeeze gently in return. "You wanna pick your ride now?" he asked, squashing thoughts of what _else_ he'd prefer her to ride.

"Sure," Kurumu replied, selecting a red Ducati with a lithe shift of her hips. After selecting the Venice race course, the game quickly loaded itself, with Kurumu's avatar positioned at the starting line on the red Ducati she'd chosen.

"You ready?" Adam asked, leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

"Ready!" Kurumu replied eagerly, starting the race course and riding like a madwoman. While it took a little trial and error for them to balance their combined weight on the console so that Kurumu could maneuver her avatar properly, she ultimately got the hang of it and was riding like a pro. It was quite fun for Adam, too, teaching Kurumu how to do something he himself loved doing . . . even if it was only a game.

It was fun in other ways, too, as Adam would shamefully admit to himself. He and Kurumu were pressed so close together, and her constant shifting and wriggling to control her on-screen avatar wasn't really helping his situation, particularly with the way it would force her backside to rub against his jean-clad groin. Even worse, he was close enough that a careful look over her shoulder, assuming he could get past her more-than-ample chest, would show that her skirt had ridden dangerously high up her creamy thighs.

Just then, Kurumu's whoop of joy knocked Adam sharply out of his prurient thoughts, prompting him to look over her shoulder and see that she'd gotten the bottom tenth high score. _Rather impressive for a first-timer,_ he thought with a smile. Quickly marking her name for the record as "Rum," Kurumu got off the console, which made Adam let go of a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. He got off the console as well, stretching out to regain some feeling in his muscles after having spent so long holding onto Kurumu.

"You were awesome, Kurumu," he said.

Kurumu hugged Adam tightly, shamelessly pressing his face into her chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Gently freeing himself from her embrace, Adam smiled somewhat sheepishly at her. "We'd better get out of here. We've made quite a scene already." Indeed, they had, judging by how everyone in the arcade was gaping at them like fish in desperate need of water.

* * *

Nightfall came sooner than expected, or maybe it was just that they'd had so much fun all day that they couldn't be bothered to keep track of the time. At the moment, Adam and Kurumu were riding to the beach, Kurumu sitting behind Adam and clinging so closely that her breasts were pressed against his leather-jacketed back. It was a surprisingly comforting feeling, so comforting that Adam almost didn't remember or care where he was supposed to be going.

He was a bit worried, though. He'd been feeling far more possessive of Kurumu than he normally tended towards, and it'd shown in how aggressively he'd defended Kurumu's honor. On the one hand, he wanted to protect her, so surprisingly innocent she was for a demon of her nature. The darker part of him, the demon growing inside him, wanted her all for himself, to the point that his bloodlust surged in tune with his desire for her. He had to get a grip, get a grip on himself – _and on her,_ that dark part taunted – before he went too far and did something truly hideous and unforgivable.

"Looks like it's just us," Adam murmured as he looked out at the empty beach.

"Just us, huh?" Kurumu repeated with a slight coquettish blush. "And there was this new bikini I wanted to show you . . ."

"Maybe some other time," Adam turned her down gently. "Right now, I'd rather walk with you."

Kurumu smiled, and that was how she and Adam were walking down the beach, the sand grinding between their naked toes as Kurumu held Adam's arm against her chest, which made Adam blush. "Hey, Adam . . . how do you feel about me?" she asked shyly.

"How do I feel?" Adam repeated, slightly unsure of how to answer.

"I mean, you've always been so kind to me," Kurumu went on. "And yet you're always so reluctant with me. Is it because of Moka? Or is it Mizore?"

"Mizore?" Adam echoed.

"I see the way you are with her," Kurumu continued. "So familiar with her, almost like you're lovers already . . ."

"Are you jealous?" Adam wondered.

"Yeah," Kurumu admitted, and that was when Adam tilted her head up so that they were looking at each other.

"To be honest, I care about you all," Adam confessed. "That's the problem. If it was just Moka I felt so strongly for, I'd have let you and Mizore down gently a lot sooner, but it's a little hard to do when the both of you are just as important to me as she is."

"You mean . . . ?" Kurumu trailed off hesitantly, almost afraid to hope.

"Yeah," Adam whispered. "I want . . . I want to be with all of you. And yet, I feel selfish for that. I feel like I'm asking for far more than I deserve, and at the same time I know that if I choose one of you, I'll be breaking someone else's heart . . . and I've broken enough hearts for one lifetime."

"That girl?" Kurumu surmised.

"Sarah?" Adam confirmed. "Yeah. I left. Like a coward. I couldn't even say goodbye to her face, because I couldn't look her in the eye, not after what I'd done to her, to her family, to her world. A man like that doesn't deserve anyone's love." This time, it was Adam who looked away, shame plain as day on his face, and it was Kurumu who forced him to look at her.

"Adam," she stated his name firmly. "I love you. I've loved you since the moment you refused to let Moka kill me for trying to take you from her. That is the man you've always been in my heart, the man who gives endlessly of himself to protect others, to protect those dear to him." Her eyes brimmed with gentle tears. "And I am happy that you have room for me inside your heart . . . even if I have to share it with Moka and Mizore."

Tears were starting to come into Adam's eyes. "Kurumu. That means a lot to me. Thank you . . ." Slowly, oh, so very slowly, their faces drew closer to each other, closer and closer, until Kurumu closed the distance with her lips, touching Adam's for the second time. This time was the kiss she had been looking for, not a kiss of despair like when they'd first connected in that way, but a kiss of love, of passion . . .

* * *

"Ah, would you look at that? It's a do-gooder Kamen Rider . . . and all alone with a girl no less," a familiar-sounding female voice taunted. By the time Adam pulled away from Kurumu and slipped his hand into his back pocket to retrieve his Advent Deck, he saw a pair of gray creatures stalking toward him and Kurumu.

"Who are you?" Adam interrogated.

The gray creature on the left was shaped very much like a woman, only with hard armor covering much of her body and looking slightly like a bat. Her companion on the right was very masculine, heavily armored in comparison to her and slightly resembling a dragon. "Why do you wanna know?" the draconic creature asked, in a guttural voice that was nonetheless familiar to Adam's ears. "You're going to die, anyway."

"Are you the Orphans?" Adam interrogated.

"Orphans," the chalky gray bat-woman repeated. "Is that what they're calling us? It kinda works, now that I think about it."

"We don't have time for this, Kylie!" the chalky gray dragon Orphan snarled. "Let's just finish them!"

"I'll finish you . . ." Adam snarled, thrusting out his Advent Deck and summoning the Advent Belt. Before he could lock his deck into the empty slot of his buckle, the Orphaned Bat lashed out with a tentacle, knocking his deck out of his hand and cutting deeply into that hand as well. "Damn it!"

Kurumu spread her wings as she changed into her true form, her ears growing pointy and a spade-tipped dark tail emerging from under her skirt. She flew at the Orphaned Bat and Orphaned Dragon with her claws extended, ready to slice them into ribbons for daring to attack Adam. To her surprise, the Orphaned Dragon agilely sidestepped her attack and uprooted her violently by her tail before using it to slam her to the ground.

"Kurumu!" Adam shouted, diving for his Advent Deck and rolling into a vicious strike to the Orphaned Dragon's abdomen. The strike didn't do much against the Dragon's armor, but it was enough to get him to let go of Kurumu's tail. Just as he was about to slide his deck into his belt to transform, the Orphaned Bat was on him, her wings carrying her toward him for a brutal clawed strike that left five deep gouges in his shirt and thankfully shallower marks in his flesh. Even so, he was bleeding . . . and that wasn't good.

"Adam!" Kurumu shouted, twisting up to viciously kick the Orphaned Bat in her stomach. Even with the Orphan's armor, a succubus was much stronger than a human and thus hit far harder. The Orphaned Dragon went to attack Kurumu, but Kurumu was ready this time and slashed him in the chest with her claws, leaving deep gashes in his armor. To her surprise, ash leaked from the wounds instead of blood before blue fire sealed those wounds.

"Ryuji . . ." Adam murmured. "They're . . . just like Ryuji . . ."

The Orphaned Bat flew at Adam, striking him with her claws and her wings. "You didn't think we forgot about you, did you? _You're_ our target. _She's_ just collateral damage."

Adam put everything into fighting back; with an opponent as strong as the Orphaned Bat, pausing to transform would only mean the death of him, especially since she was determined to keep him close. He wasn't coming out any better for it, though, as the numerous gouges and scratch marks on his clothes and bared flesh could tell. "I'm not going to let you hurt her!"

"Silly boy, if she'd just give up and let us have our way, she wouldn't be hurt," the Bat taunted him.

"She wouldn't do that . . ." Adam hissed, his eyes flashing vampire red.

"Then you get the pleasure of watching helplessly as she dies," the Bat sneered.

Unbeknownst to Adam, his Advent Belt had taken on a very different shape, the empty buckle morphing into a black oval with a blood-red circular crystal in its center and the belt strap turning black as well. "That's not going to happen," he snarled.

"Why?" the Orphaned Bat teased as Adam began to push back against her.

"_Because_ _you'll die before I let that happen,_" Adam vowed with cold finality in his voice. He immediately followed up that promise with a vicious punch that felled the Orphaned Bat, so surprised she was by its force.

"The hell?" the bat-woman uttered in confusion.

Adam shifted into a battle-ready stance and just as he was about to start fighting in earnest . . . a bladed tentacle pierced his chest from behind. "Tunnel vision isn't good for keeping alive . . ." the Orphaned Dragon mocked as Adam fell to the ground, revealing that he was the one who'd gotten behind the Rider to stab him.

A keening scream of grief-driven fury was the only warning the two Orphans got before a tearful Kurumu was on them in a flurry of claws and the most horrific demonic illusions she could conjure. "_You monsters! You killed him! You killed my Destined One! Monsters! You'll die for this! DIE!"_

"So much love for someone that pathetic," the Dragon mocked, even as he struggled to defend himself. "Oh, well. We can send you to join him in the hell he's certainly in right now."

At that moment, a dreadful aura rose from the spot where Adam's alleged corpse was lying in its own blood. In fact, the so-called corpse was rising to its feet, the blood-red crystal eye in the center of his belt shining luridly, much like Adam's red eyes, staring out behind a mess of sandy bangs due to his head being tilted downward. As he leaned back, the dreadful aura consumed Adam completely in a haze of red-tinged black flame, and when it had faded . . .

. . . In his place stood a grim figure in sleek techno-organic black armor with clawed fingertips, forbidding red eyes under a draconic black visor, and a lower jaw full of inhumanly sharp teeth. _"Kurumu,"_ the figure growled, and somehow, almost on instinct, Kurumu knew it was Adam. _"Leave them to me."_

Wicked blades releasing themselves from his wrists, the monster that was once Adam rushed the two Orphans, so fast Kurumu could only follow his trail by the afterimages he left behind. _"Were you pieces of trash following us?"_

The Orphaned Bat attempted to attack with her wings, but the black demon formerly known as Adam just stabbed through those wings before brutally kicking her so hard in the sternum that she fell. The Orphaned Dragon attempted to avenge his partner, but Adam struck him not only with the blades growing from his wrists, but the blades extending from just below his elbows as well. Terrible wounds formed on the Orphan's armored hide, ash leaking profusely from them as he struggled to heal.

"Adam, stop!" Kurumu shouted, flying over to restrain him from doing something he might regret in this crazed state of mind. "You've won! You don't need to go any farther!"

Slowly, the dreadful aura that had been surrounding Adam faded, as the techno-organic black armor faded into renewed flesh, only a few scars showing themselves where terrible wounds had once been. His eyes still glowed red, but that glow slowly dimmed before those eyes turned back to their normal shade of blue. The strange crystal eye was gone, too, and the belt strap holding it up on his waist had also faded.

"Tell your master," Adam snarled, "that if he tries this again, I'll hunt him down and kill him myself."

The Orphaned Bat managed to snicker slightly. "Oh, come off it. We weren't actually going to kill you." She shook ash off her wings, which revealed that the injuries he'd dealt them in his wicked transformation had already healed. "It was just a message."

The Orphaned Dragon looked ready to attack, but the Orphaned Bat gripped his arm to dissuade him. "You're too injured right now. If _he _didn't slaughter you, _she_ would. Let's just go."

Go they did, leaving behind a very confused, worried, and frightened Adam and Kurumu. "So much for our date," he muttered. "I'm sorry, Kurumu . . . I guess I'm nothing but trouble."

Kurumu gently took Adam's hand. "At least we got to spend the day together . . . and at least I'm a little more certain of where I stand with you."

Adam sighed. "There is that. But we should go back to the others. They'll want to know what happened."

"Do we tell them everything?" Kurumu asked, obliquely referencing Adam's sudden transformation.

Adam just nodded grimly. "They'll need to know."

Next: Ride or Die

* * *

Endnotes: I know I promised you a date with Mizore, too, and I fully intend to deliver. The story just ran away with me for a bit, and now it seems I'll have to postpone Mizore's outing with Adam until the next chapter or so. Kurumu now knows that Adam feels as strongly for her as he does Moka, but won't that just make her try harder to win him from her? Even more importantly, the Orphans have finally made their on-page debut, but are they more closely linked to the Kamen Riders than they seem . . . and what in the _hell_ did Adam turn into to fight them?

For the record, Kurumu's outfit is based on the cosplay of a particular outfit she wore in the second season of the R+V anime, and yes, said cosplay included sky blue panties. The song used in the trailer for the in-universe Kamen Rider movie is Breaking Benjamin's "Lights Out," which in light of all the KRDK fan videos set to their songs made perfect sense to me. Further, Adam's transformation is meant as a homage to the GONZO anime Blassreiter, which to put it briefly is 24 episodes of Kamen Rider in Germany with the bloodshed, existential despair, human bastardry, and badass bikers turned up to eleven.

Finally, the Ryuji Adam speaks of is Kamen Rider Chrome's seminal protagonist Ryuji Hasuma, whom Adam briefly teamed up with after an exchange of fists in our collaboration Vampire Days. Well, that's enough out of me, and it's now time for Rider Fashion Check! Come back around next time, and until then . . . let's ride!

* * *

**Rider Fashion Check!**  
Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Yahoo!" Kurumu greeted. "I'm your host, Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much cuter and more awesome co-host Yukari Sendo!" Yukari added.

"You can't bring me down today, you flat-chested brat!" Kurumu declared. "I'm feeling way too good today to let your petty jealousy affect me!"

"Oh, is that right?" Yukari taunted. "Would it have something to do with Adam?"

"Yeah, it was the most romantic date I've ever been on!" Kurumu rejoiced. "He was so attentive . . . so caring . . . so eager to be with me . . . it was the most excitement I've ever had!"

"You didn't –!" Yukari started to say, only to choke on her own envy.

"And he kissed me, too!" Kurumu added.

Yukari growled. "You cow! His lips are for me and Moka alone!"

Kurumu scoffed. "Adam can decide where his lips go. And he tasted like mint . . ."

Yukari let out an angry huff. "Whatever! We're here for the _**Rider Fashion Check,**_ and it's time we displayed the one Rider who's never gotten as much credit as he deserves! Kamen Rider Incisor!" Pressing a button, Yukari projected an image on the screen behind and above her and Kurumu, the image of a figure in bronze-orange armor styled after a crab over a skintight black suit. The most notable things about this armored being were the scissor-like blades mounted on one of his arms and the Advent Deck lodged in the center of his belt, said deck marked with the symbol of the crab.

"This guy is bonded to the Advent Beast Volcancer, as you can see right here!" Yukari continued, pressing another button to show a crab-like humanoid covered in orange-bronze armor. "Incisor will double-team with Volcancer against opponents for a two-to-one advantage, and his skills lie in close combat. For example, the Cancer Visor is a striking weapon he can use against his foes for a little extra offensive power . . . and then there's his Cancer Pincer."

"Cancer?" Kurumu uttered. "Isn't that some human disease?"

"It's also an astrology sign," Yukari dryly commented. "Now, as I was saying . . . the Cancer Pincer is Incisor's Strike Vent, and he can use it to trap his opponents and beat the crap out of them!" The image changed with another press of a button, this time showing Incisor using the Cancer Pincer against Wing Knight, keeping him down for the count . . . until Wing Knight used his Visor rapier to slash Incisor's Advent Deck.

"Why are they fighting each other?" Kurumu asked.

"Because that's Richie Preston," Yukari replied. "He's Ian's Earth counterpart, and one of the first Earth Riders Xaviax recruited. Before that, he was your typical spoiled rich kid who thought he was entitled to everything he wanted just because of his dad's money. Then Xaviax came up to him and told him his dad cut him off to teach him something about responsibility and self-sufficiency. Richie didn't take it well, and Xaviax offered him Incisor's Advent Deck and a million dollars in American money for each Rider Richie took down."

"I'm guessing it didn't work out that well," Kurumu mused.

"Maybe you're not such a boob brain after all," Yukari sniped. "After Incisor put his Final Vent against Wing Knight's, he came out on the losing end . . . and was sucked into the Advent Void."

The image shifted again, this time to Incisor initiating his Final Vent. Incisor jumped up, crouching in midair before landing on his Advent Beast's claws and using them as a springboard for a somersaulting strike . . . that was intercepted by Wing Knight's Final Vent. "I'm not gonna show what happens next," Yukari said. "Our sponsors don't wanna scare the viewers away."

"Wow, that bad?" Kurumu asked.

"That bad," Yukari confirmed.

"Was he ever rescued from the Advent Void?" Kurumu wondered.

"Yeah," Yukari confirmed. "After the Ventaran Riders defeated Xaviax and freed everyone he'd kidnapped, Eubulon retrieved the Earth Riders Xaviax had been using as his pawns, including Richie. The guy went back home, found out his father had been searching for him all along, and they reconciled. Richie still agreed to see if he could live without his dad's money and become his own man like his father wanted for him."

"I guess he learned his lesson, after all," Kurumu remarked.

"Uh-huh," Yukari agreed. "As for the original Incisor, he's a much cooler guy, really laid back and all that. He takes being a Rider as seriously as the others, but he also likes kicking back with comics and videogames. I've even started showing him some of the manga I like!"

"Oh, does Yukari have herself a little crush?" Kurumu teased. "Finally realized Adam isn't gonna go for a flat-chest like you?"

"Hey!" Yukari protested. "Ian and I are just pals, and I'm not gonna surrender Adam to some floozy like you!"

"Why, you –!" The screen suddenly turned blank, while a voiceover stated, _"__**Rider Fashion Check**_ _is temporarily shut down due to technical difficulties. After these are fixed, we will return to profile the mentor of the Kamen Riders himself – Eubulon, the Advent Master. Your patience will be rewarded, but until then, goodbye for now."_


	28. Ride or Die

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 28: "Ride or Die"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, Ishinomori Productions, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media. Other properties that may or may not appear in the course of this story are owned by Toei or Midway or Disney or Time Warner.

Author's note: For those of you still unaware, The Amazing Shrinking Violet, a dear friend of mine going on several years now, has written a tie-in story to this one called "Dragon Knight: Climax Heroes," which can be found in the same crossover section as this one. Our stories will run in parallel, parallel being a good word as far as her story involves alternative timelines melding and crossing with this story's timeline . . . and it makes a good jumping-off point for the spin-off I've planned with Brave Kid starring Kamen Rider Haze. Hopefully, you'll read those two as well as this one, and I'm sure you'll like them if you're already a fan of this story.

That said, let's get on to the more immediately relevant facts here. Kurumu and Adam went on their date, which went perfectly fine until a pair of Orphans attacked them, killing Adam in the process . . . only for Adam's incomplete soul evolution to bring him back from the brink in a twisted, inhuman form that nearly slaughtered the Orphans. Just what exactly does this portend for Adam, let alone his loved ones and the world in which they live? Of course, there is more danger for more people than just Adam and his loved ones, given certain unpleasant reunions the Riders have had in that intervening time. Wanna know what I'm talking about? Read on, and let's ride.

* * *

Adam and Kurumu had spent the return trip to the Riders' impromptu Earth base in silence as they both ruminated over the encounter that had spoiled their date – and the change that had happened in Adam. When they got to the hotel after parking Adam's motorbike, they went up to see the other Riders and found them all gathered together with the Newspaper Club, Ruby, Maya, and three young people neither recognized.

One of those young people was a smallish glowering girl with brown hair, sharp green eyes, richly tanned skin, and garbed in black biker leathers. The other two were young Japanese men, one dressed in somewhat plain and understated clothes with his hair hanging almost limply in his face, and the other being clad in much darker colors with somewhat shaggier hair. The second male newcomer had a dark countenance that almost mirrored the female newcomer . . . who was oddly sniffing the air, sort of like . . .

Choosing to ignore that creeping feeling of familiarity for the time being, Adam spoke up. "Master Eubulon . . . something's happened."

"What happened, Adam?" Eubulon inquired.

"Before my date with Kurumu, I was attacked by an Advent Kamen Rider," Adam replied. "Silver, female, used the Stinger monsters to deflect my Final Vent – and working for Xaviax, though she implied that there were other forces at work besides him. Then during my date with Kurumu, a pair of gray humanoids – one like a bat and the other like a dragon – came after us both . . . also for Xaviax."

"Xaviax must be building up an army," Eubulon surmised. "Consisting of both Kamen Riders and any monsters willing to ally with him . . . The Orphans would be a natural choice, considering his hand in their creation and how estranged from humanity they are now . . ."

"Wait, Master, what are you mumbling about?" Adam asked.

"I'll tell you later," Eubulon replied. "Was there anything more to this attack?"

"Yeah," Kurumu cut in. "One of those Orphans, the dragon-looking one, stabbed Adam in the heart from behind like a coward! I thought he was dead, and then . . . he came back, but not really himself . . . he'd become some kind of monster himself with black armor and spiky bits growing all over his body and teeth worse than one of those freaking mermaids!"

"Mermaids?" Chance scoffed. "Mermaids!"

"Unlike that pretty Little Mermaid movie, _real_ mermaids are predators that lure men to their doom!" Kurumu retorted. "A group of them run the Swim Club at our school, and they nearly sunk their teeth into Adam!"

"Just your luck, man . . . you got the craziest tastes in women," Ian quipped. "Or is it that the craziest women have a taste for you?"

"His luck, my curse!" Gin interjected. "Somehow, he has girls flocking to him, and he spends more time brooding than anything!"

Eubulon cleared his throat sharply, while the dark girl in the leathers just glared disdainfully at them, a glare matched by the shaggy-haired young man near her. "In any event, your transformation, Adam . . . I believe I know how it happened."

"How?" Adam asked.

"The Orphans were produced by a viral mutagen deliberately created by Xaviax's experiments on humans he held in captivity," Eubulon explained. "Apparently, the intent was to make them a stronger labor force in restoring Karsh, but when we defeated him last year and freed the people he'd captured, the mutagen left unnoticed instead became a genetic time bomb. Usually, Orphans do not realize what they've become until they die for the first time, and end up reviving as undead creatures possessing great strength, speed, and resilience compared to most humans _and_ they have the ability to infect others –the ones that survive their attacks, that is. When that Orphan stabbed you, he must have infected you with the mutagen, which would have mingled with the extant mutagenic changes in your biochemistry and forced a sudden transformation to preserve your life."

That was when the dark girl spoke up. "I knew you smelled wrong," she snarled.

Moka didn't know what to say to that, as she held herself responsible for what he was turning into. Had she not given him her blood to save him, he would have remained human and not had to worry about becoming a bloodthirsty horror. Then again, if she hadn't given him her blood, he would have _died,_ and she would have never lived with herself if she'd let that happen. Such was the dilemma.

Kurumu's response, as always when it came to people hurting or badmouthing Adam, was to turn violently protective. "And who do you think you are, you little witch?" she snapped, followed by a quick injection of "no offense" directed at Yukari and Ruby, who were _real_ witches. "You don't smell so human, either!"

Mizore was silent, as usual, but her silence spoke volumes of how incensed she actually was, as the air around them got much, much colder. The leather-clad girl growled deeply, her fists clenching tightly through her gloves as though in a fighting mood. Immediately, the understated boy grabbed her by the wrist to hold her back, leaning close to reinforce his presence. "Cool it, L. She looks kind of sensitive about him."

"And who are you guys, anyway?" Kurumu asked.

"They're Riders, Kurumu," Eubulon replied. "Riders from other worlds, but Riders nonetheless. The girl is Laura, called Kamen Rider Alter, and her Deck has the power to alter itself to emulate the properties of any of the Advent Decks of her world. The other two . . . are Ryotaro Nogami and Souji Tendou, also called Kamen Riders Den-O and Kabuto, and they come from their own separate planes of reality, with Riders unique to those worlds."

Kit noticed the look on his Ventaran double's face. "Hey, don't worry about it. We're still getting used to it ourselves. I mean, it's one thing to be told there are more than two worlds in the universe and another to see proof with your own eyes. But there's more bad news where that came from. Some bad guys from the other worlds have stolen the Advent Decks from Laura's corner of the universe and given them to some of the guys Len and I ran up against when we were fighting Xaviax mostly on our lonesome."

"You mean the Earth doubles?" Adam deduced. "They've got Advent Decks of their own now?"

"Yeah, it's not going to be a pleasant experience," Len agreed. "From what Price told us about his encounter with them, the new Advent Decks work almost exactly like ours, which means they don't have to strain themselves too much getting back into fighting form."

"And they have their memories back, don't they?" Adam deduced.

"Thank you, Knight of the Obvious," Chase sniped amiably.

"In any case, we will need to prepare ourselves for future battles with these individuals," Eubulon interjected. "Especially since we will be fighting on _two_ fronts as opposed to one, and if Adam is right about the nature of the Rider that attacked him, there is the chance of a _third_ front in this conflict. I would recommend, for the time being, that everyone get their rest, and Adam . . . you'll need to see the No-Men tomorrow morning for a medical check."

"Let me guess, they're going to poke and prod to see whether or not I'll flip out and kill everyone," Adam remarked with sour resignation.

"I understand that you're not exactly on Michelle's list of favorite people, but I will ensure that you're treated fairly," Eubulon assured him.

"And Michelle's been getting better about that kind of thing," Maya added helpfully. "She's not rushing to judgment as quickly as she used to."

Adam's lips twisted into something that could be construed as a smile, albeit barely. "Thanks, Maya. That helps. A little bit."

* * *

Morning came and Adam rose from his uneasy slumber, hazy images awash in crimson clinging to the back of his mind. Staggering to the bathroom, he ran the sink faucet and threw water in his face to snap himself back to some sense of wakefulness. He looked in the mirror, and to his great relief, he wasn't seeing a vampirized reflection. Small comfort that did him; he could be turning into something even worse, for all he knew.

Quickly brushing his teeth and showering, then drying off, Adam was about to retreat to his own room to get dressed when he found Moka on the other side of the door . . . and Moka was getting quite the eyeful, even with the towel covering his unmentionable parts. "Oh, sorry, Moka," he said. "Didn't know you were out there."

Moka blushed at seeing him, and a quick once-over showed Adam that she was wearing a sleeping kimono that covered her very well. _How unfortunate,_ a small part of him thought, and Adam quickly repressed it.

"It's ok, Adam . . ." Moka replied shyly. "I should have knocked."

"No, I opened the door, I should have checked to see if anybody was out there," Adam countered gently.

"Oh, you both stupidly embarrassed each other," Souji Tendou sniped from his corner. "Now shut up and get moving. You're annoying me."

"Sorry . . ." Moka uttered humbly.

Adam glowered at Souji. "You don't have to be an ass about it."

"I'm not the one too scared of his shadow to notice when a good woman is offering herself to him," Souji retorted with a mocking smirk.

This got Adam and Moka both flustered. "Hey, it wasn't like . . ." Moka was saying.

Overlapping her voice and words was Adam's outraged, "What do you think we are?"

"As my grandmother would say, 'Feelings that are kept silent find expression in other ways,'" Souji answered coolly.

Adam grunted before moving past Moka. "I'll see you at breakfast," he murmured, glaring at Souji as he passed him.

Sometime later, having dressed and groomed himself, Adam joined the other Riders, the Newspaper Club, and their guests for breakfast. As they ate, Adam found himself observing the three newcomers – Ryotaro/Den-O was eager to mingle and interact with others and make new friends, while Laura only seemed to involve herself at all by his prodding and Souji could care less about interaction. The only one he seemed to really talk to at all was Ruby, and Ruby couldn't help but feel something familiar about the mysterious newcomer. Of course, this resulted in Souji aiming dark glares Nolan's way every time the senior Advent Rider tried to start a conversation with Ruby.

As soon as Adam finished breakfast, he washed it down with some orange juice and stood up to leave. "Sorry, guys, it's been a great breakfast, but Michelle's expecting me and if I don't show up on time, something tells me I'm gonna get hunted down like a dangerous animal."

Hunt glowered at him, but held his tongue this time. Eubulon nodded silently. "Godspeed, Adam."

Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Len, Kase, Kit, and Maya looked at him with concern. "Don't worry about me," he responded. "I'll see you guys later, and whoever it is that's going to be my date tonight . . . I'll be on time, I swear!" With that, he rushed off to the special garage where the Riders' motorcycles were kept. Finding his, he got on, started the engine, and rode away to the No-Men's base.

"How does he know about that?" Yukari asked. "Nobody told him, did they?"

Everyone shook their heads rapidly. "Law of averages," Chance said. "He'd have figured it out eventually."

"And besides, he doesn't know _who's_ going to be meeting him after his tests are through," Kase added.

Laura scowled. "You're worrying about who dates _him_ while the fate of the worlds is on your shoulders?"

"What do you mean by _that?_" Mizore asked with a dangerous cool to her tone.

"He doesn't seem all that special to me," Laura replied. "If anything, he's a liability. Everything about him screams conflicted emotion and uncertainty of purpose. He's unreliable."

"Adam is the most reliable guy there is!" Kurumu and Yukari declared furiously, while Mizore coldly scowled at Laura and Moka's own stare was surprisingly hard.

"You don't know him," she spoke with cold anger in her tone, her hair obscuring her eyes, "so don't say a _word_ about him."

Ryotaro looked at Laura uneasily. "Um, L, you kinda . . . crossed a line there. I've seen people in love. Insulting the people they love is a surefire way to push their buttons."

Laura let out a dismissive grunt. "Not my fault they have bad tastes in chosen mates."

As much as Hunt agreed with the new Rider, he was going to keep his mouth shut. An argument between girls, particularly ayashi girls, was not something one wanted to get in the middle of if one valued their health. Beside him, he felt Chase nudge him and heard his brother whisper, "Thanks for not making a total ass of yourself today, bro."

Hunt scowled at Chase. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Chase replied nonchalantly.

"Settle down," Nolan rumbled. "It won't do any good to turn our claws on each other."

Laura looked at Nolan with surprise, as if he'd revealed something he wasn't supposed to know. Ryotaro looked at Nolan and then back at Laura and whispered something to her. Laura relaxed a little bit, but she still looked like she was on guard, while Souji just snorted. "You guys . . . if I'd known monsters acted no better than lovesick teenage girls . . ."

"They kinda _are_ lovesick teenage girls," Chance remarked, earning glares from the sisterhood of Adam's unofficial harem. "Monsters or not, some things are the same all around."

"He does raise a valid point," Eubulon agreed. "Many things are quite similar across worlds, regardless of the natures of those worlds."

"I suppose you want us to see this Michelle Walsh, too?" Souji asked.

"At least to quantify your presence and that you're allies," Eubulon replied.

Laura looked visibly uneasy at the mention of Michelle Walsh. "She's government, isn't she?"

"Yes," Eubulon admitted, as Laura stiffened even more after hearing that simple word. Noticing her quiet terror, the Advent Master gazed kindly upon her. "Don't worry. Like I told Adam before, I will ensure that you're treated fairly and no harm comes to you by her hands."

Again, Laura relaxed slightly, as though sensing that Eubulon was sincere in his words, and Ryotaro seemed to be doing his best to comfort her nonverbally. "Why is she so jumpy?" Quinn wondered.

"You haven't read enough comic books, have you, Quinn?" Ian jibed. "See, what happens most of the time in situations like ours, albeit as fictionally depicted, is that the government will poke and prod at anything that so much as stinks of non-baseline-human to learn and exploit its secrets, regardless of what it means for their subject's quality of life."

"And I don't think we told you this part before, but the No-Men were spying on us while we were fighting Xaviax last year," Kit added. "They had cameras and listening bugs on and in our meeting spots, and I got kidnapped, interrogated, and had a Mirror Monster sicced on me to see what I would do when I wouldn't talk to Michelle Walsh about the whole situation. Didn't help much that she thought we were just dangerous as Xaviax and his monsters. So yeah, Laura's not exactly paranoid for no good reason."

"Didn't know you still felt that way, Kit," Eubulon commented.

"Hey, an experience like that is gonna leave a guy uneasy for a good while," Kit replied defensively.

"And you have a right to be," Eubulon conceded.

"And what are they gonna do to Adam?" Yukari wondered. "Are they gonna put electrodes on his head and hook him up to wires and shock him to force a transformation out of him? Or are they going to strap him to a table and cut him open so they can see what makes him tick? Will they throw him in front of monsters and make him fight them?"

"You read way too much of those scary sci-fi manga," Kurumu tried to brush Yukari off, but she couldn't help but think of similar scenarios, if not even worse torments they could put Adam through, herself.

* * *

Adam's testing at the No-Men's headquarters had not been an easy or fun process. First, they had made him lie down inside a machine that resembled a CAT scanner and used it to map out his DNA so they could examine it for the specific nature of his mutation(s). Next, they had put him in an observation room with Renee, who had suited up with the Triad Gear and started shooting at him, as a means of providing negative stimuli to force the change.

_That_ had worked only all too well, as Adam had gone full berserker upon his change and nearly torn Renee apart before recovering his senses. Renee had had to use her Exceed Charge to halt his blind rampage and even then, he wasn't dead like expected . . . but then, he wasn't exactly a "normal" Orphan, or a normal _anything,_ for that matter. He'd reverted to human form, vomiting blood from the still-healing internal damage Renee's Exceed Charge, the Light Hammer, had inflicted upon him.

After a quick checkup to make sure he wasn't in danger of long-term injury, which shocked the doctors when they saw how fast he was healing already, Adam was freed to go. He picked up his Advent Deck from Trent, who'd been holding onto it on Michelle's orders so Adam wouldn't have any other choice than to use his new powers. He was already resisting the urge to vomit again, and not from his injury, but from the flashes of memory of nearly killing a fellow Kamen Rider – again. It was a good thing Michelle had thought to keep the room sealed; otherwise, there were a lot of squishy humans that could and likely would have been literally shredded by him.

* * *

While on his way out, his cell phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket to see a text message waiting for him. Curious, Adam clicked it open, and began to read. _"Hey, Adam, I've got another of your girls waiting for you at the big ice rink downtown from where you are now. She's really looking forward to seeing you there, so you'd better get there fast; she's waited long enough as it is. Then again, she's a very patient girl . . . so patient it's kind of scary. Brrr. Hurry up and get her before she melts! –XOXOXO, your favorite big sister Kase."_

Adam chuckled to himself. His next date was Mizore, obviously; only an idiot could miss the double meaning behind the "melting" remark. Granted, he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, either, given how he'd let Xaviax mind-screw him twice into betraying his fellow Kamen Riders, but a guy who didn't even know what his girlfriend(s) liked was a _complete_ idiot. Adam prided himself, at least as far as he could, on not being _that_ stupid.

Putting his cell phone away, he headed to where his motorcycle was parked and put on his helmet before starting the bike and riding away. He hoped that this time, he wouldn't be interrupted on his way to his date or during said date by any of Xaviax's Rider minions. He cranked the throttle to pick up speed, eager to see Mizore at the ice rink. Of course, he wouldn't be quite so lucky, as a cursory look into his rearview mirrors revealed that he was being chased down by a band of bikers in nearly identical suits of leather armor with helmets modeled after grasshoppers, the colors being their only distinguishing features.

_Damn it,_ Adam thought. _Who the hell are these guys?_

Swerving in the hopes of leading them away from innocents, Adam sped down a corner alley as the "Hoppers" followed him in a single file. Finding a place where his pursuers doubtlessly thought he'd be cornered, Adam stopped and did a full 180-degree turn to face them, lifting up the visor of his motorcycle helmet so he could speak. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Their apparent leader, the Hopper with the red scarf around his neck and red highlights on his helmet, spoke. "That old man of yours crossed us. You know what happens to people who cross us?"

"Enlighten me," Adam taunted.

"They suffer, and then they die," the red Hopper replied coldly.

"Are you guys with Xaviax?" Adam asked.

"Xaviax?" the red Hopper echoed. "Let's just say our bosses have a special interest in _that_ one."

"Then we're done talking," Adam stated with cold finality in his voice. He lowered his helmet visor and pulled out his Advent Deck, thrusting it ahead of him to form the Advent Belt. "Kamen Rider!" He slid the deck into the empty slot that served as his belt buckle and rode at the Hoppers, rider and bike transforming as they charged. At the moment the transformation completed itself, the motorcycle reared up on its hind wheel and lunged off the ground entirely, soaring above and landing behind the startled Hoppers, at which point he tore away.

The red Hopper recovered first. "Pink, Blue, Green – you three go on ahead. Yellow, Black – you follow me. Pincer maneuver; we'll cut him off at both ends and make sure he has nowhere to run."

As the gang of six split off to pursue Kamen Rider Onyx from both ends, Onyx rode through the city streets like a maniac trying to lose his pursuers or at least lead them away from innocent people. Finding himself near an overpass, Onyx did something that would have been downright suicidal for a normal biker, namely lunging, bike and all, _off_ said overpass. With the increased agility and endurance granted by his Rider transformation, it was merely a slightly rough but exciting ride.

Landing in the middle of the street below, but thankfully on the right side, he kept riding, ignoring the startled cries of motorists who feared that he'd been jumping to his death. The cries quickly resumed when they saw Hoppers Red, Yellow, and Black repeat Onyx's stunt in their determined pursuit of him. Unlike Onyx, they were not even nearly as circumspect in how they landed, callously blazing past motorists while pursuing the black dragon Rider.

The wail of police sirens, of course, told them that this had not gone unnoticed. Kamen Rider Onyx cursed under his breath, certain that the motorcycle patrollers would contribute nothing to the fight except mangled bodies courtesy of the Hoppers unless he did something. Growling under his breath, he performed a tight 180-degree spin and charged toward the Hoppers currently pursuing him to draw their fire.

One of the motor-patrollers, thinking that Onyx was attacking, drew a gun and opened fire. Onyx weaved out of the way of the bullets, just in time for Hopper Yellow to flip her lower body off her motorcycle and deliver a flaming double-legged swing kick to the patroller while her hands remained attached to her motorcycle handlebars. The patroller almost never saw it coming, the maneuver coming far too fast for him to handle . . . and he was brutally knocked off-course to the point of a violent crash.

Another patroller closed in on them, and Hopper Black contorted off his motorcycle for a flaming chop that ripped the patroller's bike in two . . . with prospects not looking so good for the patroller, either, judging by how much blood he was leaking. Hopper Red was about to attack another patroller with a vicious flaming punch when Onyx cut him off at the pass with a hard kick to his motorcycle.

"Get out of here!" Onyx snarled at the patroller. "You're not equipped to handle these guys!"

"And you are?" the patroller retorted belligerently.

_SWORD VENT._

As the Black Drag Saber landed in his outstretched hand, Onyx found it in himself to reply. "Yes. I am. Now go! Get your friends the hell out of here before those guys get themselves killed!" He then used his sword to block the flaming fist of the approaching Hopper Blue, the force of the collision being redirected into a hard spin on both riders' motorcycles.

* * *

Reluctantly, the remaining patrollers began to tend to their wounded, radioing for paramedics as Onyx led the Hoppers away from civilian motorists. As soon as they made it into the sparsely populated back streets, he turned to confront his pursuers. "All right, we've played long enough," he snarled, getting off his bike. "Who are you working for and what do they want with Xaviax?"

"Why should it matter to you?" Hopper Red asked. "I thought you and your old man wanted to take him down."

Onyx drew an Advent Card. "I don't have time to mess with you, so we're going to end this now. Ever play a game called 'Survive'?" He turned the card in his hand, revealing that it was none other than it was the Survive Mode Umbra Card, his aura rising as dark flames ignited all around him. Thrusting his left arm out, his Drag Visor morphed from its original gauntlet form to a dragon-shaped gun. He opened the "mouth" of the new Drag Visor and placed the Survive Umbra Advent Card inside it before snapping it shut.

Blue-black flame completely engulfed him as his armor transformed, his gauntlets and greaves developing gold-and-silver accents while his breastplate turned more draconic in shape and his Advent Deck turned silver while the dragon crest remained black. His helmet had remained mostly unchanged, although it had grown a pair of golden whisker-like antennae from the center of the bridge of his visor. Said visor had taken on stronger golden accents while its shape became somewhat more ornate.

The Hoppers surrounded Onyx, but he wasn't as concerned as he would have been before. "Bring it on," he challenged.

Hopper Red attacked first with a flaming punch that Onyx rolled out of the way of before sweeping his legs out from under him with a low spin kick. Twisting onto his feet, Onyx activated his Visor Blade and blocked Hopper Pink's flaming kick with it before punching her just above her belt with enough force to knock her several dozen feet before she hit the ground. Hopper Yellow attempted to avenge her female comrade with a flaming running jump kick, only for Onyx to catch her outstretched leg one-handedly and throw her to the ground, where she tumbled quite some distance before stopping.

Hoppers Blue, Black, and Green went for a joint attack in the form of what looked like a triple Rider Kick from three different angles. "Screw that," Onyx murmured, and slotted an Advent Card.

_GUARD VENT._

Immediately, Dragblanzer wrapped around Onyx protectively and its giant coiling body deflected all three Hoppers' kicks, knocking them to the ground. "My turn," Onyx snarled and charged at the recovering Hoppers, dashing through them brutally with his Visor Blade. When he wasn't slashing at them, he was blocking their punches, kicks, and chops with his legs, blocks that quickly turned into retaliatory kicks and occasional elbow slams to the gut.

"What the hell is this guy?" Hopper Red snapped.

"Right now, I'm just a guy you've made late for a date with a cool lady that I hope will forgive me for wasting time on you losers," Onyx taunted. "And that's why I'm ending you now."

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblanzer appeared again and Onyx jumped up onto its back as it hurtled straight down at the Hoppers. Upon nearing the ground, it compacted itself into a dragon-shaped black motorcycle, complete with the prerequisite wheels, and Onyx rode toward the Hoppers at high speed. Realizing that they were doomed, the Hoppers attempted to flee for their motorcycles but Dragblanzer Cycle Mode proved to be much too fast, expanding back into dragon form and knocking them into the air with a lash of its tail.

Guided by Onyx, Dragblanzer flew up after the airborne Hoppers and snatched them with its tail before taking them hundreds of feet high. At the peak of its flight, Dragblanzer flicked its tail hard enough to release the Hoppers and flicked it once again to knock them toward the ground. Then it dived toward the rapidly descending Hoppers, as Onyx threw himself off Dragblanzer's back to freefall after his former pursuers, just before the black dragon breathed black fire at his back to launch him into a descending side kick that impacted brutally with the clustered Hoppers.

His Survive Mode powers having burned out just after the impact of his Final Vent, Kamen Rider Onyx stood in his normal armor in the center of a sprawl of ravaged quasi-humanity. The Hoppers were still alive, if their pained groans and half-conscious twitches were reliable evidence of such. They were covered in black ash, as was the ground beneath them, left over presumably from the force of his Final Vent – and the street itself didn't look so good, either, given the very visible web-like cracks in the asphalt.

It didn't matter right now, though. He'd defeated the Hoppers and now all that was left for him to do was get on his motorcycle, de-transform, and find a way to get to Mizore before he ended up on the receiving end of her anger. Thus, he got on his motorcycle and rode away as his Kamen Rider armor dispelled itself at his will, a ring of black light pulling in two directions to remove the armor and reveal his normal clothes. Said normal clothes were his customary leather jacket over a dark teal long-sleeved T-shirt with ornate silver patterns etched into the front and black diesel jeans with matching motorcycle boots.

His bike had also changed back to its normal form, the Suzuki GSX-R customized specifically for him, both as Dragon Knight and as Onyx. It occurred to him at that moment that he would be hearing a lot from Michelle and Eubulon about his recklessness in making the fight with the Hoppers a little more public than affordable and he sighed behind his motorcycle helmet. Nonetheless, he could sit through lectures from Michelle and Eubulon, but what he likely _couldn't_ sit through was the kicked-puppy look on Mizore's face when he finally met up with her.

_Who was that guy with the spider costume and the webs who always lamented that his superhero life was messing up his love life?_ Adam asked himself wryly. _I think I know a little better how he feels now._

Next: Snow White Queen

* * *

Endnotes: Once again, I lament not being able to give you readers the Adam/Mizore date that I promised before. It seems both in the context of the story and in my actual writing, the fighting overwhelms the romance. For the record, the "Hoppers," Kamen Rider Alter, Souji "Tendou," and Ryotaro/Den-O are from Shrinking Violet's parallel fanfic "Kamen Rider Dragon Knight: Climax Heroes," and it would be most appreciated if you gave her some support for that story, given that it makes certain things in this chapter make more sense.

Never fear, the date is still coming; it's just going to have to be postponed for next chapter, the _real_ "Snow White Queen." The idea behind that title comes from Evanescence's song by that same name, which deals with the interplay between a love-mad stalker and his (or her) unfortunate object of twisted desire. As for the actual manga on which this story is based, Mizore's last name Shirayuki is Japanese for "snow white," which is also a flower native to the snowy lands where the yuki-onna dwell, so if you think about it, that title makes perfect sense for Mizore.

Of course, the date is not going to be without its unique problems. Mizore is likely starting to think that she's been stood up, and as hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, there'll be a lot of explaining for Adam to do if he wants to get out alive and unfrozen. Even so, there'll be plenty of other enemies coming out of the woodwork . . . or the ice . . . so maybe Laura/Alter was right and Adam's better off focusing on the fights ahead instead of trying for romance with his girls? To see how it all goes down, ride on to the next chapter.

* * *

**Rider Fashion Check!**  
Hosted by Kurumu Kurono and Yukari Sendo

"Welcome to another edition of _**Rider Fashion Check!**_" Kurumu announced, garbed in a sexy hostess costume. "I am your host, the sensational and seductive succubus Kurumu Kurono!"

"And I'm her much cuter, much smarter co-host Yukari Sendo!" Yukari chimed in, dressed in a more formal hostess costume that still looked rather cute on her.

"Why, you little –!" Kurumu snarled and made strangling motions with her hands.

"In any case, it seems Adam's late again!" Yukari went on. "Mizore must be crushed."

"Yeah . . ." Kurumu admitted. "Then again, he was late with me, too, and that was because he was attacked! Maybe the same thing happened again!"

"He gets attacked a lot," Yukari observed. "It's like he's a trouble magnet."

"Maybe," Kurumu agreed quietly. Then she brightened up. "In any case, it's time to review the one man who started it all, the Advent Master himself, Eubulon of the planet Karsh!"

Yukari pressed a button on the keyboard and the back screen lit up with the image of a man in full-body black armor with a helmet styled after a cricket. "This is Eubulon's combat form as the Advent Master, powered by the Advent Key that also doubles as an Advent Deck." She used her pointer to mark the Advent Key in the center of his belt, a bronzed circle with an "X" in its center that was vaguely reminiscent of the twin folding rings of energy that armored the Ventaran Kamen Riders.

"Eubulon isn't human, either, but he isn't a monster," Kurumu added. "He's an alien from another planet, a planet besieged by constant warfare until it was all but completely obliterated. To rebuild their planet, Eubulon's commander, General Xaviax, intended to use a sophisticated teleportation system to instantly transmit all the people of another planet to Karsh, where he'd make them work to restore his planet. I'm guessing there weren't enough natives left to do the job themselves by the time he was through."

"But Eubulon couldn't do it," Yukari continued on. "He fell ill on Ventara and was resuscitated by a human family, at which point he felt remorse for what he was sent to do and revealed himself and his people's plan to the governments of Ventara. In exchange for him lending his technology to stop Xaviax, Ventara's united governments gave him 12 of their best and brightest youths to mold into warriors capable of harnessing the technology to protect Ventara. Those 12 became the first Kamen Riders, guided by Master Eubulon's hand."

"Except when Eubulon confronted Xaviax, Eubulon disappeared . . . and the Riders thought he'd been killed, or worse," Kurumu picked up. "And they had to fight on their own. Instead, Eubulon accidentally ended up on the other side of the mirror . . . on Earth, where he was kept in cold storage by the No-Men for almost sixty years."

"So the Roswell landing wasn't totally fake after all!" Yukari shouted.

"Roswell?" Kurumu repeated, dumbfounded.

"Roswell, New Mexico," Yukari explained. "There have been a lot of conspiracy theories revolving around something alien landing in that area during the 1950s. Turns out they were right."

Kurumu blinked. "Wow." Then she shook her head to clear it. "Now that the history lesson is over with, it's time to get on with the fashion check! Basic black . . . is never out of style, is it?"

"Certainly not," Yukari agreed. "It's why the original Riders always seem to be wearing it as their main color." She pointed to the Advent Key again. "This isn't just the power source for Eubulon's combat armor; it's also the key to and from the Advent Void, enabling him to retrieve defeated Riders when they're needed. As the creator of the Advent Decks, he can encode them with specific persons' DNA to prevent anyone else from using them if they're stolen . . . unless that someone has the exact same DNA as the original user, like with the Earthborn Kamen Riders. Of course, this means that if he wants to, he can bypass the DNA coding and give an Advent Deck to someone else, like he did with Maya when Kase was in the Advent Void and couldn't use the Siren Deck."

"Wow," Kurumu uttered. "I guess that's how he saved Ruby after JTC went after her back at the Witch's Knoll."

"Yeah," Yukari confirmed. "In any case, Eubulon's Advent Key has its own cards, which he swipes through his Slash Visor instead of slotting them like the Riders do. See?" She changed the image so that it showed Eubulon in the middle of a fight with Dragon Knight slashing a card through his visor to summon the barbed black sword that was his slash dagger. "That's his Sword Vent, which can even shoot blasts of blue fire at an opponent for a long-range attack." The opponent those flames were aimed at happened to be Dragon Knight.

"Why's he going after Dragon Knight?" Kurumu asked.

"Because it's not him, it's Xaviax posing as him to break Adam's spirit and sway him into committing to Xaviax's plan," Yukari replied. "Poor Adam didn't even recognize it until it was almost too late."

"And there's another card he uses in combat, Speed Vent," Kurumu added. "I think I understand just fine what it does."

"But for our audience watching at home . . ." Yukari remarked slyly before pressing another button on the keyboard to switch to Xaviax-as-Eubulon using the Speed Vent to ambush a disgustedly retreating Adam. "It's very useful for getting the drop on an opponent."

"Yeah," Kurumu growled, angered at what she was seeing. That man, putting her knight through such terrible misery for his own wicked plans . . . if she could get her hands on him, she'd rip him apart for what he'd done to Adam.

"He does have his own Advent Beast, it just doesn't see combat very often, especially since Xaviax repurposed it for his own forces when Eubulon disappeared," Yukari added. "Introducing – Psycorogue!"

The image of Eubulon changed to an image of a robotic humanoid cricket firing lasers at Kit and Len inside an abandoned warehouse. "Fortunately," Yukari went on, "Eubulon managed to get Psycorogue back once Xaviax was killed by the 13 Riders' Link Vent."

"What does Psycorogue do?" Kurumu asked.

Yukari tapped another button, and Psycorogue was shown morphing into a motorcycle for Eubulon to ride, just as Psycorogue began to spin out uncontrollably into a brutal impact with an opposing Mirror Monster. Eubulon and Psycorogue were perfectly fine, but the Mirror Monster had been almost entirely obliterated. "That's Eubulon's Final Vent," Yukari declared. "Awesome, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Kurumu enthused. "I just wish Mizore was here to see this. It might cheer her up a bit, or at least distract her so she doesn't think she was stood up."

"Uh-huh," Yukari replied. "And I'm hoping that when Adam makes it, he doesn't get impaled on ice spears."

Kurumu shivered at the thought. "Yeah. That's something I'd rather not see." Then she brightened again. "For now, that'll be enough for _**Rider Fashion Check!**_ We've reviewed all 13 Kamen Riders from KRDK and the Advent Master, so now it's up to the audience to see if we continue this with Riders from other series . . . especially Riders that'll be appearing in future chapters of this story! You want more of us and our Riders? Send letters or whatever else you can to get our attention!" She blew kisses at the audience. "See you around!"


	29. Snow White Queen

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 29: "Snow White Queen"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Adness, Toei, the brothers Steve and Michael Wang, and Ishinomori Productions. The more native Kamen Rider series that may or may not be involved or adapted in this chapter and the overall story are also property of Toei and Ishinomori Productions. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media, and I make no material profit whatsoever from the use of any of the characters associated with those properties in this story.

Author's note: For those of you wondering what the Hopper Squad was doing in the last chapter, you'd need to read the story "KRDK: Climax Heroes" by The Amazing Shrinking Violet for a more proper understanding. Not that explanations will not be forthcoming in this story, but you would probably do better reading her story as well for fuller comprehension, since we are collaborating and all.

In any event, the Adam/Mizore date that was promised but sadly not delivered in the last chapter will be coming in this chapter. Of course, with Adam's luck being what it is, don't be surprised if somebody else shows up to try to spoil that wonderful event. In any event, let's ride!

* * *

In the hotel surreptitiously commandeered by the Riders as their base on Earth, said Riders were watching the news with no small degree of worry. The news report currently airing had a reporter speaking at length about a motorcycle chase with some _very_ uniquely garbed motorcyclists on bikes that could only be described as "really tricked-out custom jobs." The motorcyclists themselves had been described as wearing armor – the one being chased in "high-tech armor like something out of that _Kamen Rider_ novel" and the chasers being armored up "like bugs with scarves and bad attitudes."

Even worthier of concern was that it was not only a police copter that had caught video of the chase . . . but also a news copter, hence the footage of said chase being shown in tandem with the report. "Didn't know Adam could ride like that," Gin remarked. "If I wasn't so worried about the idiot getting us all exposed, I'd say it was the most badass thing I'd ever seen."

"What I'm more impressed by is that he did it without crashing into a single innocent person," Yukari added.

Eubulon was elsewhere, in the middle of a heated argument with Michelle Walsh about the situation. _"I can get those tapes confiscated and wiped out, but you really need to talk to him about fighting out in the open like that on Earth,"_ she was saying. _"Ventara may know all about Xaviax and the Riders, but most people on Earth still don't know and we'd like to keep it that way. Something we can't do if your favorite Rider is going to get himself caught on tape."_

"From the footage I saw, Adam did not invite the Hoppers' assault on him," Eubulon defended. "While it would have behooved him to be more circumspect, the Hoppers would have caused great danger . . . danger that he was trying to avert."

"_Yeah, well, now we have cops we have to force an oath of silence on so that they don't start digging . . ."_ Michelle added huffily. _"And if not all of them are swayed, you know what that'll mean for you, for the Riders, and for those girls Adam seems so fond of."_

"I understand, Michelle," Eubulon conceded. "I will see what I can do in my own way, but no one innocent is going to suffer unnecessarily for the sake of our secrecy."

"_Of course,"_ Michelle acknowledged before ending the call, leaving Eubulon to sigh regretfully.

_Adam, what have you gotten yourself – and us – into now?_ the Advent Master mused to himself.

"Hopefully he at least makes it to his date on time," Eubulon heard Ryotaro idly remark, to which the newly returned Laura grimaced in clear distaste.

"His date," the dark girl spat. "You're worried about his love life when he's just singlehandedly caused us more problems with that stunt?"

"What can I say?" Ryotaro remarked. "As unhappy as that guy seems to be, a date could be the perfect thing to take his mind off it for a while, especially after being chased down by a bunch of grasshopper goons."

"While it _is_ distressing, at times, even people like us need to at least _feel_ normal for a while," their newest acquaintance, a purple-haired girl in dark robes, another world's Rider named Raven, commented with a mixture of sagacity and wistfulness.

"And who are you?" Laura asked, feeling tension at the sight of the elder girl. She wanted desperately to unsheathe her claws and tear into the newcomer, but a soothing look from Ryotaro dissuaded her.

"Raven," the purple-haired young woman replied simply.

Laura's fists clenched and unclenched at least three times before she managed to rein herself in. "She's a Kamen Rider like us, Laura," Ryotaro offered. "Kamen Rider Revya."

A small mechanical-looking vampire bat made its presence known, floating around Laura. "Hey, there," the bat greeted, its tone airy and girlish. "Smile a little more, will ya? It doesn't take as many muscles as that frown you've got now."

That merited the bat a swat from Laura, one that the bat ably dodged before flying back to Raven. "Tough crowd!" was the bat's response.

"Be a little more sensitive, Reiki," Raven admonished the impulsive, girlish bat.

"That bat . . ." Moka uttered. "It looks a little bit like the Demon Tribe bats. They don't bond well with humans, but I suppose with you being . . ." She trailed off, not wanting to speak any further and offend the elder Rider.

"Demon Tribe bats?" Price asked.

"Bonded to a vampire or a vampire-like race, the Demon Tribe bats excite the vampire's blood to create a heightened transformation that renders the vampire an invincible war machine," Moka replied. "I've only seen ones like that amongst elite vampires . . . or their original hosts, the Wuighyrs."

"Wee-gyres?" Ian tried to pronounce the word.

"Like vampires, but an alternate evolution of sorts," Moka explained. "Vampires need blood so much because the life-force taken from the ingested blood energizes and sustains our kind. Wuighyrs bypass the blood and go straight for the life-force itself."

"Not a species to take lightly, I guess," Nolan observed.

That was when Eubulon came back in. "I was just in congress with Michelle. She has expressed concern with this recent turn of events."

"You mean she wants to haul Adam's ass into her office and read him the riot act for fighting those grasshopper punks out in the open," Ian helpfully "translated."

"Weren't they the same guys we confronted earlier, Master Eubulon?" Nolan offered.

"The same guys _I_ saved you from, I might add," Souji cut in, speaking for the first time in a while.

"They may be the same or they may be of the same design," Eubulon admitted. "But the fact that they went after Adam shortly after already targeting us suggests that there are still greater forces at hand than we can recognize right now."

"Where do you think they came from?" Kase asked.

"There are still other worlds . . . and other dangers . . . as I warned you after we defeated Xaviax for what I foolishly presumed would be the last time," Eubulon confessed. "I would not be surprised if they also hailed from another dimension."

"Wherever they're coming from, we'll send them back," Hunt uttered with cold finality in his voice. "Up to them just how many pieces they go in."

* * *

Meanwhile, oblivious to the trouble waiting for him when he got back to base, Adam had finally managed to make it to the ice rink where Mizore had been patiently waiting for him. The icy stare aimed his way let him know that she wasn't exactly happy with his tardiness, but by God, she was positively radiant to him. She was in a wooly grayish purple shirt with loose black sleeves and black shoulders, a white pleated skirt with long black stockings, and a pair of white skates. A red scarf wrapped around her neck with twin tails streaming down her back, completing the ensemble.

"Mizore . . . you look gorgeous," Adam uttered.

Mizore's stare melted into a placidly gratified expression, satisfied that her efforts to look pretty for her date had not gone to waste. "Did something keep you? Or some_one?_ Because if someone is getting in the way of our relationship, I can take care of them for you."

"I'll tell you all about it after I've gotten my skates," Adam replied, a little worried about what Mizore's last comment might have meant.

"Don't keep me waiting, Adam," Mizore murmured. "I will find you."

Adam smiled. "Counting on it . . . and I _am_ sorry for making you wait this long." With that, he made a quick beeline for the stand where the patrons could trade the shoes they were wearing when they came in for ice skates in a corresponding size. With that over and done with and payment having already been assured – _Must have been Kase, _Adam thought – Adam walked as gracefully as he could manage on his skates to join Mizore.

"Are you ready, dear?" Mizore asked.

"Yeah," Adam replied, and pulled something out of his pocket, namely a cherry mint lollipop. "Just my way of saying sorry for being late. I know how much you love these, so I went and got one for you."

"Just one?" Mizore asked coolly, although her slight smile suggested that she was still happy with what he'd gotten her.

"I've got more," Adam confessed. "Different flavors. Lemon, lime, blueberry, strawberry, grape . . ."

Mizore smiled just a little wider. "You are very considerate to me . . ."

"Just doing my best for someone I l – care about," Adam replied, catching himself at the beginning of the word he was going to say, the word his heart wanted him to say. He offered her his arm. "Why don't we show these people what a real ice queen can do?"

Mizore's smile widened just a little further as she took his arm and took him onto the ice rink. They skated together, arm in arm as Adam struggled to keep his balance. Having had his body honed to the absolute limits of human ability before acquiring a Kamen Rider deck, he didn't struggle as obviously as an ordinary beginner would have, but it was a lot more effort for him than it was for Mizore. The snow girl herself leaned closer to whisper in Adam's ear, "Relax. You're trying too hard. Just let yourself flow with the ice."

_Flow . . ._ Adam thought, flashing back to a lesson Len had taught him early on when they were starting out.

* * *

"_You're pushing yourself too hard, Adam," he'd admonished. "You're putting too much force into your movements without judging how much you actually need. You have to _flow_ into your attacks, like water."_

"_Water?" Adam echoed._

"_It's like Master Eubulon says," Len offered. "Water can be every bit as destructive as any other element and it does so just by inexorably flowing in any given direction. Floods and tsunamis don't do damage just because they're so powerful; they do damage because they just keep flowing no matter what anybody does, and the only way they stop is when they've exhausted themselves. It's the whole point of the Seven Forms – move as light as air, as fluid as water, as hard as earth, as swift and precise as lightning, and as strong as fire – when you've got all that down, you'll have all you need to be a Kamen Rider."_

"_Do you have that all down?" Adam asked._

"_A little closer than you, but not quite," Len admitted. "But I can still help you get there. What do you say, Adam? Adam? Adam . . . ?"_

* * *

"Adam," Mizore called out to him, and Adam snapped out of it. "Were you thinking about something?"

"Yeah," Adam admitted. "I was thinking about my old training and how Len helped me figure out the purpose behind the Seven Forms. It was the same thing you were just talking to me about, Mizore – just flowing into my movements instead of trying to force myself through them."

"You want to give it a try?" Mizore asked.

"Sure, but mind if I hold onto you for a little bit?" Adam asked.

"No problem," Mizore replied with a smile.

Soon enough, Adam was skating like he'd been doing it for most of his waking life and Mizore was skating with him, still surpassing him in natural grace. It was only expectable; the ice, snow, and cold were her natural environment as a yuki-onna, after all. The ironic thing was that Adam was still holding Mizore even after he'd seemed to get the hang of it, as though he was reluctant to let her go for some reason. Whatever reason he had for that, Mizore could care less, as this was the closest she'd been to Adam for sometime.

"Is your home just like this?" he inquired, whispering in her ear. They were now skating front to back, his front to her back, as he embraced her from behind, making Mizore blush at the intimate contact.

"It's even better," Mizore whispered back. "As the humans would call it, an eternal winter wonderland . . . it's so beautiful . . ."

The nostalgic tone in her voice could not be missed unless the hearer was just that oblivious – and Adam wasn't. Not to Mizore, at least; it was how he knew when she was following him, watching him. He'd trained as a Rider to be able to sense the presence of others trying to stay hidden, and it was a sense that served him well with Mizore. It comforted him in a way, to know that she would always be there for him, always watching him, even if most others would be quite more disturbed by her eerie watchfulness.

"Hey, why don't we show off a little?" Adam suggested, suddenly seized by a spirit of mischief.

Mizore smiled at him, and she and Adam began to dance on the ice rink, displaying feats of gymnastic skill that would make professional skaters green with envy and red with embarrassment. It wasn't long before the other skaters began to watch them more closely, curious as to how a couple of seemingly ordinary teenagers could skate that good. Adam was practically inscribing diagrams into the ice with his movements, while Mizore was rather fond of taking to the air while spinning like a graceful top. After each aerial spin, she would land on the ice and unfurl herself into graceful pirouettes before taking her date's hand in her own so he could launch her for another spin before she landed in his arms.

It was at that point that the other skaters all but stopped moving, so engrossed they were by the young couple's impromptu performance. To them, it was the most beautiful thing they had ever laid their eyes upon in person, although it almost didn't seem natural for the couple to be as good as they were. Even so, it was a splendid performance that they felt privileged to witness . . . until they started disappearing one by one, being yanked down through portals opening up in the reflection of the ice.

This had not gone unnoticed by Adam, whose "Advent Sense" – as Trent had dubbed it after one of his favorite comic book heroes – had gone off in response to the mirror incursion. "Stand back," he warned Mizore.

"No," she answered with calm defiance. "I stand with you."

"All right," Adam conceded as he drew his Advent Deck. "Come out, whoever you are!" The black burst of energy from the deck formed the familiar Advent Belt, and just as Adam was about to place it in the empty slot that served as his buckle, an oddly – and unpleasantly – familiar face emerged from the mirrored surface of the glass dividing the ice rink from the rest of the building.

It was a petite girl dressed in a zip-front sleeveless black top and the oddest pair of black pants, the right leg ripped off completely in favor of exposing a black stocking and the red garter that attached it to the frayed hem of her right leg. Her face had a pixie-like cuteness belied by the dark look in her ochre-brown eyes, while she had dark red hair tied back in three tails, one ponytail and twin tails framing her face, all done by white bindings.

"Hello, Adam, Mizore," the girl greeted them with false affability plain in her voice. "Remember me?"

"You . . . you were with the Academy Enforcers," Adam spat. "What was your name, anyway?"

"Deshiko Deshi, at your service!" the redhead declared. "You see, you filthy little human, after you humiliated Captain Kuyo the way you did and destroyed our organization, we wanted payback . . . so Kuyo, in his wisdom, signed up those of us who were still loyal to him for Xaviax's new team. What united us all? _You._ Xaviax offered you a great deal; no more fighting and you get to be with your girl forever, just offer up your friends on a platter. You threw his generosity back in his face, you ungrateful snot. Then Kuyo offered you a place with our organization, and just like with Xaviax, you threw his generosity in his face and then had the nerve to pass yourself off as a vampire to humiliate him!"

"Not how I remember it," Adam snapped.

"And as you might have guessed, Kuyo wasn't the only one Xaviax gifted with an Advent Deck," Deshiko went on, withdrawing an Advent Deck with a golden crest resembling a beetle's shell and thrusting it at Adam, forming an Advent Belt out of crimson energy.

"Kamen Rider!" shouted both Adam and Deshiko as they slotted their Decks into the empty slots that served as their belt buckles. Mizore, understanding what was about to happen, stepped back slightly from Adam just before the transformation spheres engulfed both him and Deshiko, Adam's in red-tinged black and Deshiko's in crimson. Inside the spheres, twin rings folded around both Riders, forming the armors over their bodies and vanishing completely once their armors had fully manifested.

Kamen Rider Onyx and Kamen Rider Ricochet stood ready for their confrontation, itching to draw an Advent Card. "Whenever you are."

* * *

Kamen Rider Ricochet wore a black suit overlaid by metallic crimson armor on her shoulders, chest, forearms, calves, hands, and feet. The armor on her chest vaguely resembled the shell of a beetle and accentuated what would have otherwise been a virtually nonexistent bust, while the backside of said armor resembled a pair of beetle wings. Her Visor was designed like a boomerang side-mounted on her left wrist, and her armored boots had small yet sharp heels on the soles that added to her height. Her helmet was just as crimson as the rest of her armor, with a grilled silver visor over her face designed to resemble the eyes and mandibles of an actual beetle. Twin antennae akin to those on a real longhorn beetle protruded from between the visor's eye-slits.

The red-clad enemy Rider drew her Advent Card first, her boomerang Visor splitting open and rotating to frame either side of her forearm to reveal the slot before she inserted the card. The Visor closed again once the card had been fully slotted and rotated back to its original position on the side of her wrist.

_ATTACK VENT._

Immediately, a red humanoid beetle that seemed rather feminine in its proportions emerged from the icy reflection of the rink. Ricochet turned to the beetle monster. "Keep the ice queen busy. I don't want her helping Kamen Rider Onyx." The monster simply warbled as an acknowledgment of its master's command and charged Mizore, who sprouted ice claws from her hands and moved to attack. "Just you and me now . . . I hope you dance as well with me as you did for your ice queen."

_SWORD VENT._

_SWORD VENT._

Onyx's Drag Saber fell into his hand, granted by Dragblacker, while the crimson-hued beetle monster, Terabiter, granted its master her Biter Blades, the boomerang-hilted retractable twin swords. As soon as Ricochet caught them, she twirled them in her hands before she seized them with a firm grip to unsheathe their laser blades.

The ice lubricating their steps, Onyx and Ricochet dashed at each other, their swords clashing ferociously. "Whatever Xaviax promised you, he isn't going to give you!" Onyx warned. "He'll string you along for as long as he feels you're useful to him and once you're not, he'll get rid of you just like he got rid of Kuyo!"

"Liar!" Ricochet snapped. "Xaviax didn't get rid of Kuyo; Kuyo was vented by one of yours!"

Onyx chuckled bitterly as he kicked Ricochet in the stomach. "Is that what he told you?"

Ricochet took the kick and twisted around in mid-fall to sweep Onyx's legs out from under him. As he fell, she pressed her advantage with the Biter Blades, slashing him viciously three times in three seconds from three different angles. Onyx crashed to the icy floor with three scorched slash marks on his pitch-black armor, skidding brutally on the slippery surface.

As he impacted the glass barrier, he saw Mizore slashing fiercely at Terabiter as Terabiter swung its personal boomerang weapon at her. Straightening up with the glass barrier as support, Onyx was shocked to suddenly find himself grabbed by a pair of blue arms . . . but not so shocked he couldn't just reach back into the mirrored surface to throw his new attacker out of his hiding spot. The attacker, brutally flung out of the mirror and into the real world, rolled with the force of the throw and spun onto its feet, revealing that it was Terabiter's mate, the blue Zenobiter.

Zenobiter threw its own boomerang at Onyx, who ducked and dived to evade it. Of course, that didn't necessarily stop it; being what it was, it simply came back around from the other side to strike Onyx, only for Onyx to derail its path with his Visor gauntlet. That still didn't stop the boomerang, as it was now flying in Mizore's direction. Having fortunately sensed the boomerang's approach, Mizore ducked under and between Terabiter's legs, leaving the red-hued beetle monster to be hit instead.

A remorseful Zenobiter ran to Terabiter's side and helped it up with profuse warbled apologies. Terabiter gave its mate back the blue boomerang before hefting its own red boomerang, both beetles in position to take on Mizore. Just as Onyx was about to help, he heard the sound of another Advent Card being slotted.

_THROW VENT._

Immediately, a bladed red boomerang flew with terrible speed and force at Onyx, who quickly slotted an Advent Card of his own.

_GUARD VENT._

The Drag Shield mounted on his arms, Onyx used it to block the giant boomerang summoned by Ricochet, which made it rebound toward _her._ Ricochet agilely sidestepped the rogue Biterang, only for it to continue its flight and dangerously swerve in Mizore's direction as she fought Terabiter and Zenobiter. With speed born of desperation, Onyx managed to shield Mizore just in time, only for the Biterang to slice into his armored back.

"Adam . . . why did you do that?" Mizore asked in a soft voice choked with incensed grief.

"You . . . have to ask . . . ?" Onyx murmured painfully. "This means nothing, Mizore. Compared to seeing you hurt . . . this is nothing."

Ricochet snorted contemptuously. "How sweet, the noble black knight risking himself for his precious Snow White . . ."

Mizore glared furiously at Kamen Rider Ricochet, her eyes emitting a chillingly icy glow as her power rose. "You stand back now, Adam," she whispered. "She's _mine._"

The ice claws she'd materialized earlier retracted, replaced by sharp, stake-like ice blades protruding from her loose sleeves. In a swirl of icy death, Mizore had left both Terabiter and Zenobiter encased and embedded in almost-crystalline frozen prisons. With the mated beetle monsters out of the way, the snow girl turned on Ricochet. "You're next," she coldly declared before ice sculptures rose from the rink, sculptures that shifted into crystalline duplicates of Mizore that were also armed with ice blades.

Ricochet merely drew her Biter Blades again and twirled them in her hands before stopping them once more. The difference was that she was holding them from the other ends now, the ends where the laser blades normally emerged. "Come on . . . avenge your boyfriend if you love him so much," she taunted.

That was the clincher to get Mizore and her ice clones to attack the enemy Rider with incredible ferocity. Ricochet wasn't worried at all, extending the laser edge from one of her Biter Blades to slice cleanly through one of Mizore's attacking ice clones. With an agile twirl, she fired a laser bullet from the reversed-grip of her other Biter Blade, the impact of which made another ice clone shatter completely, shards of ice flying everywhere. A third ice clone was about to impale Ricochet on her ice blade, but Ricochet caught her wrist and snapped it so hard her hand literally broke off before she elbowed her in the face, breaking it into so many pieces.

"You know, Onyx, this is kind of fun!" Ricochet taunted. "I can keep on killing them until I find the real one . . . and then I think I'll kill her, too, just to give you a taste of what I've felt since Kuyo was vented by you bastards!"

Kamen Rider Onyx furiously slotted an Advent Card. "We'll see who gets a taste of pain," he snarled.

_STRIKE VENT._

The Drag Claw landed on Onyx's right arm as Dragblacker emerged from the mirrored surface of the ice rink. "Mizore, get out of the way!" he shouted. Mizore and her remaining ice clones managed to dodge just in time for the Drag Claw Dark Fire strike to hit Ricochet. When the black flames faded, a scorched but otherwise standing Ricochet was still ready to fight.

_SWORD VENT._

With the Drag Saber once again in his hand, Onyx charged Ricochet, who countered with the laser edge of one Biter Blade to deflect his slash and then kneed him in the stomach to force him back before shooting him with the reversed grip of her other Biter Blade. Both of Mizore's remaining ice clones lunged for a decapitating strike with their ice blades, only for Ricochet to switch to "gun grip" with both Biter Blades and shoot both ice clones, shattering them both into so many ice shards.

"And then there was one . . ." Ricochet purred maliciously, giving the impression that she was licking her lips behind her helmet. "Or was the real one hiding amongst those clones and I killed her and didn't even know it was her? That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

"Shut up," Onyx growled low in his throat, both Ricochet and Mizore starting to feel a terrible dark aura rising from him. "Shut the hell _up._" Dragging his sword on the icy ground, his aura began to contort and warp into something truly twisted by the reckoning of both yokai girls as Kamen Rider Onyx stalked toward Ricochet.

"What are you gonna do?" Ricochet asked mockingly.

She got her answer when a black blur of violence slashed into her again and again, dashing past her defenses and offenses with terrible speed and power behind his motions. With a final strike, he'd sent Ricochet flying into the glass barrier and colliding harshly against it. She tumbled to the icy floor, her Biter Blades lost in Onyx's frenzy of retribution.

"And now it ends," he snarled, his voice deeper and colder than it'd ever been before. The chill of his voice was accented even more worryingly by the crimson glow of his lenses behind the grilled visor of his helmet. "Say hi to Kuyo for me. . . ."

_FINAL VENT._

Dragblacker slithered around Onyx from its hovering position, which rendered Onyx afloat himself, almost dangling from invisible wires that positioned him for a flying side kick. Nearby, Mizore could only watch with awe – in both senses of the word – as Onyx brought his terrible power to bear to once again punish someone who had sought her life out of spite. With a powerful breath of darkness flame from Dragblacker, Onyx flew like a torpedo, crashing violently into the red-hued beetle Rider . . .

. . . or he would have, had Kamen Rider Argent not pulled a save at the last minute by pulling Kamen Rider Ricochet into the reflective glass and vanishing safely away. This left Onyx to merely shatter the glass they'd escaped through, the mirror portal inside closed to his vengeful reach.

Denied. He'd been denied his vengeance, denied the retribution that was justly his for daring to ruin his date with Mizore and even try to kill her. "Mizore . . ." he growled softly, turning back to her side to see if she was all right.

"I'm fine, Adam," Mizore whispered.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kamen Rider Onyx dispelled his armor, revealing Adam . . . and yet, not quite. His eyes had turned vampire red with dark ochre framing the slits of his pupils, his hair had paled to a dreadful platinum blond, and strange web-like black marks were starting to creep up his face.

"Good," he growled softly, his voice carrying a deadly edge, thanks to the terrible fury he was trying to hold back. Slowly, the web-like black marks on his face receded into nothing, as his hair darkened back to its usual coloring and his wrathful red eyes turned back to their gentle yet haunted clear blue. "We'd better go back. Tell the others. Guess this is another date ruined."

Mizore had retracted her ice blades and taken Adam's hand in hers. "What do we do about all the people she and her cohorts took?"

"Nothing we can do by ourselves," Adam admitted. "But with all of us together, we have a much better chance of saving them and making Xaviax pay for what he's done here."

"He seems . . . very determined to make you suffer," Mizore mused grimly.

"I'm the one that got away," Adam replied. "The one he thought he had his hooks secured . . . but as painful as it was, I ripped those hooks out and now he won't stop until he breaks me . . . and he'll use anybody and everybody I l – care about to do it."

Mizore tilted her head curiously. "That pause again," she remarked. "Were you about to say something else, Adam?"

"No," Adam replied curtly. "Let's go."

Mizore wanted to pursue her line of inquiry, but she'd followed and watched Adam long enough to know that this was the point where he began to close himself off. Asking further would only cause him more anguish at this particular moment, particularly with whatever internal conflict he was going through now. The last thing she wanted now, or ever wanted, was to cause him more anguish . . . not after he'd saved her from her own pain.

"All right," she assented, and as they held hands, they slipped into another mirror portal within the unbroken portion of the glass barrier, disappearing entirely from human sight.

Next: Kiss of the Dragon

* * *

Endnotes: There you have it, the Adam/Mizore date that I promised; shame it was interrupted by Kamen Rider Ricochet. Seeing Mizore "killed" over and over has further eroded Adam's control over his dark side. As if things weren't bad enough, though, Xaviax has reverted to his old kidnapping strategy, so what dangers are now ahead for the Riders, the Newspaper Club, and their dubious new allies?

For those of you confused as to "Raven's" presence, I strongly recommend reading Kamen Rider Dragon Knight: Climax Heroes by The Amazing Shrinking Violet. It'll have quite more of an explanation for her presence if you read the latest update of that story, and Den-O/Ryotaro, "Souji Tendou," and Laura/Alter will be explained as well soon enough. Until then, say your prayers and ride to survive.

P.S. If you want to know where Len's description of the Seven Forms came from, it was inspired by Soulblazer87's explanation in "Aku no Chi, The Demon Blood" in the Rosario + Vampire page on . Specifically, chapter 17 has a character explain to Kokoa Shuzen that all martial arts ultimately stem from one or more of the five elements of earth, fire, wind, water, and lightning. I thought it would fit well with Eubulon's instruction of the original Ventaran Kamen Riders, and I hope he is flattered and not too offended by this homage.

* * *

And now, a special extra:

"No more sitting on the sidelines!" Kurumu declared.

"It's morphing time!" Yukari added.

"Wrong show!" Kurumu snapped. "But all the same, it's long past time for us to get in on the action!"

"Everybody ready?" Moka asked.

"Always ready," Mizore answered coolly.

A small silvery-white mechanical bat flew over to Moka's outstretched hand and bit her in the juncture between her thumb and forefinger. Yukari waved her wand and it transformed into a short blade tipped by the familiar heart-framed pentagram. Kurumu picked up a strange sword with a microphone for a hilt, and Mizore held a bluish-silver ice sculpture in her hands.

"Kamen Rider!" all four girls shouted and started their transformations in their own ways.

The mechanical bat perched itself on a belt mysteriously formed from ghostly chains around Moka's waist. Yukari slotted her bladed wand into a strangely ornate belt fitted around her waist, the heart-framed pentagram locking into the center buckle. Kurumu locked her strange sword into a gauntlet-like slot mounted on her left arm and struck the microphone hilt to "properly" activate it. Mizore impaled herself in the heart with her own ice sculpture, which merely shattered to encase her whole body in ice.

Moka's own body began to transform as well, taking on the coloring and texture of stained glass as it shifted forms, becoming taller and curvier before shattering to reveal a white-armored figure with red eyes shaped like batwings, a matching rapier sheathed at her side. Multicolored light encased Yukari, light that made her body suddenly expand in several directions, growing taller with longer legs and arms, a narrower waist, wider hips, and a very developed bust.

The light then shattered to reveal a very feminine figure in metallic red armor with silver accents, an almost blank face save for a visor resembling that of a medieval knight's, and three gems colored violet, blue, and green rested on her chest in a triangle. Rings of energy danced around Kurumu as sensually formed dark armor assembled itself over her body, the succubus completing her transformation by removing the microphone sword from its sheath on her gauntlet and striking a sexy yet deadly pose. The ice that had encased Mizore's body shattered to reveal a female figure in crystalline ice blue armor with a dark faceplate that obscured everything but her bright green eyes.

"Kamen Rider Nosferatu!" Moka announced herself, unsheathing her rapier.

"Kamen Rider Witch Saber!" Yukari declared, releasing long blades from her arms.

"Kamen Rider Lilim!" Kurumu proclaimed boldly as she brandished her microphone sword in sweeping motions.

"Kamen Rider Yukikaze!" Mizore announced herself, forming a sword out of ice.

"Defenders of Earth, Yokai, and Ventara . . . we will never rest until the evil of Xaviax is extinguished so that all we love may know peace at last!" all four lady Kamen Riders declared valiantly before falling silent.

"Don't we look sexy?" Kurumu giggled to herself.

"I actually look like a woman!" Yukari rejoiced. "This body . . . I've always dreamed of having a body like this! Now there's nothing that will get in the way of me becoming the meat in Adam and Moka's hot sandwich!"

Moka giggled a little nervously, while Kurumu openly balked. "Dream on! Adam's mine!"

"You yourself can keep dreaming," Mizore murmured in retort. "Adam is _mine._"

"It's time to go!" Moka shouted, and it was very clear that it was Inner Moka calling the shots in this new transformation. "There are foolish monsters that need to be shown their place! And if you would rather bicker than help, I will show you your place!"

"Right!" Kurumu agreed. "It's time to right wrongs and beat down evil! Who's with me?"

The four newly minted Kamen Riders jumped on their motorcycles, which were all differently styled. The chassis of Nosferatu's bike was modeled on a bat's body with the "wings" folded back to provide the frame. Witch Saber's bike resembled a rocket on wheels to a certain point, while Yukikaze's motorcycle could be compared to a retrofitted snowmobile. Lilim's motorbike was a sleek, graceful, _sexy_ black beast that practically purred when its engine started.

"Let's ride," Yukikaze murmured softly.

And ride they did.


	30. Kiss of the Dragon

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 30: "Kiss of the Dragon"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight belongs to Toei, Ishinomori Productions, Adness Entertainment, and Steve and Michael Wang. Rosario + Vampire belongs to Akihisa Ikeda and VIZ Media. Other Rider-related properties belong to Toei and Ishinomori Productions, and GARO-related properties belong to Keita Amemiya. I receive no monetary or other material rewards for the writing or posting of this story and this is solely for my own entertainment and that of my readers.

Author's note: The big 3-0 . . . that's when things start to really get shaken up if Kamen Rider history is to be believed. I see no reason to break with this tradition, and so there will be high-octane action in this chapter. Every Rider that has debuted in this story will team up with the Riders of Ventara for the biggest rescue operation of all time . . . but are they ready to dive into the heart of evil? To answer this query, it is time to march forward and read! Let's ride!

* * *

"You two look like a mess," Chance quipped as soon as he saw Adam and Mizore come in. "Bad date?"

"_Bad,_" Adam replied tersely. "Two things – first, another one of Kuyo's Enforcers became a Rider, too, and more importantly, she snatched a bunch of people from the ice rink we were in."

"Ice rink . . . lots of reflections . . ." Price murmured in realization.

"A plan of action would be best advised," Mizore added.

"And I have one," Eubulon replied. "But it will require all of us fighting together."

"Are you sure?" Nekonome-sensei wondered. "There are penalties for acting in the human world for our kind."

"Yes, but the penalties will not be as great as the penalties we will all suffer for letting someone like Xaviax have his way," Eubulon replied. "I am certain the Chairman will understand and grant dispensation at least this once."

It didn't take long for Trent Moseley and Chris Ramirez, a.k.a. Kamen Riders Knight Saber and Dime Trigger, to arrive at the scene. It took even less time for Renee, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Triad, to join them. The otherworld Riders – Ryotaro, Souji, Raven, and Laura – had gathered with the 13 Riders of Ventara and the Newspaper Club, who were all waiting to hear Eubulon out.

"As I feared, Xaviax is up to his old tricks," the Advent Master offered somberly.

"Is he still at the Witch's Knoll?" Chris asked.

"Very likely," Eubulon replied, and no one missed the dark glower on Ruby's face as her fists clenched. Nolan placed his hand over her fist and squeezed comfortingly, as Souji looked on with a jealous stare.

"Then that's where we look first," Nolan declared.

"You know, a cavalcade of motorcycles is gonna be very suspicious to the general public," Ryotaro remarked. "Especially after the news cameras caught Adam fighting those Hoppers live . . . unless we took something less conspicuous."

"All ears," Eubulon offered.

* * *

Needless to say, with the exceptions of Ryotaro and Laura, everyone was shocked to see an ultra-stylized high-tech bullet train roll into the street in front of their hotel base on conjured train tracks. Hunt nearly burst a vein somewhere between laughing at the seeming absurdity in front of him and trying not to punch the younger man in the face for said absurdity. In the end, he settled for a derisive snort. "_That__'__s_ what you call 'less conspicuous'?"

"Uh-huh," Ryotaro replied with complete seriousness. "The DenLiner crosses all four dimensions of space and time . . . perfect for getting somewhere unnoticed. Plus, it's got good company. You wanna come in and see?"

Eubulon smiled a little. "Xaviax might not see this coming . . . or at the least, not be as prepared for that as he would be for our conventional methods."

"Yeah, let's go," Gin said. "I wanna see the inside of this baby."

Inside the time-crossing train, the entourage of Riders and yokai were greeted by a young Japanese woman in a somewhat odd waitress outfit. Said outfit consisted of a white server's cap, a white top slightly reminiscent of an apron, and a pair of skintight black pants with silver and gold arrows extending from her rather shapely hips. "Are these your friends, Ryo-kun?" the young woman asked in accented English.

"Uh-huh," Ryotaro replied. "These four girls here come from Yokai Academy – Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore . . ." Each girl made a brief greeting as their names were pronounced. "And then there's Ruby and Gin . . ." Ruby and Gin also made polite greetings, but Gin accented his with a flirtatious comment that the girl politely demurred. "And Souji Tendo . . ." The darkly clad young man gave a brief nod. "And Raven . . ." Raven politely acknowledged her name with a brief greeting. "And the brave Riders of this world . . ." That particular intro was quite lengthy, given that there were 16 active Riders from this corner of reality, plus the Advent Master Eubulon, who had developed their equipment and weaponry.

"I'm Naomi," the young woman offered her name. "Nice to meet you all." She looked at Laura with a smile. "Been getting along just fine?"

"As much as can be expected," Laura replied neutrally.

That was when they were interrupted by five strange creatures. The one in the lead was colored red from head to toe and resembled an Oni with spiky armor all over. Another was colored sky blue and wore segmented armor with smaller spikes than the red Oni-like being. The third was a large humanoid in gold-and-black armor with a protruding horn on his head and fur wrapped around his shoulders. The fourth was hued purple with a cape-like extension from his shoulders and showman gloves, plus long spikes growing from his face. The fifth was an oddly elegant and almost beautiful white-armored being that vaguely resembled a swan.

"Oh, hey!" the red one shouted. "Who the hell have you been bringing in here, Ryo?"

"Relax, Momotaros . . ." Ryotaro offered. "They're friends."

"Are you an Oni?" Kurumu asked.

Momotaros, the red being, glared at her. "Do _not_ confuse me with an Oni! I'm Momotaros, little lady, and don't you forget!"

"Who are you calling little?" Kurumu exploded back at him, thrusting her voluminous chest out. "You think _these_ are little?"

"No, but your brain sure is," Yukari cracked.

"Somebody needs to take some chill pills," Chase muttered.

"I would very much agree," the swanlike white creature concurred.

"You shut it, pretty boy!" Momotaros shouted.

"He _always_ gets like this. . . ." the blue creature groaned stoically.

"Hey, we have guests!" Naomi protested. "You shouldn't be so rude as to argue while they're here!"

With the moment of silence mercifully granted, the blue creature took a step forward. "I'm Urataros. The narcoleptic with the fur is Kintaros. The punk is Ryutaros . . ." He looked at the swanlike creature with an expression that could have passed for distaste. "_He_ is Sieg . . . and you've already been introduced to Momotaros."

"One big happy family in here, aren't you guys?" Kit remarked dryly.

"It does take some getting used to," Ryotaro admitted. "But they grow on you . . . and you on them if you stick around long enough."

"Tell me about it," Momotaros grumbled affectionately.

"Why did you wake me up?" Kintaros groaned.

"Because there is an evil man making people in this world cry," Sieg replied archly. "And as we are, we are to stop him."

Kintaros snapped wide awake. "Where is this fiend who dares cause tears in the good people of this world? Point me at him and I'll make him pay!"

"Don't worry, we're going after him right now," Ryotaro replied. "Just hang on for the ride, everyone." As he said that, he made his way to the front car of the DenLiner, straddling the motorcycle in its center, which raised everyone's eyebrows except Adam's. Ryotaro turned to them. "This is my Machine Den-Bird. It enables me to pilot this train, especially in combat . . ." He turned to Adam. "You look like you've seen this before."

"An old friend . . ." Adam explained. "He had one of these, too."

"Well, then . . ." Ryotaro said as he slung the Den-O Belt onto his waist and locked an odd cell phone over its buckle. "Let's go, Kamen Riders! Henshin!"

The DenLiner launched, roaring down the conjured train track at high speed as the transformed Ryotaro steered it toward Xaviax's base. Inside the train, the other Riders had begun their transformations with cries of either "Kamen Rider!" or "Henshin!" Fifteen energy spheres with twin rings rotating inside surrounded fifteen Riders, while rotating energy platforms collided with Trent and Chris, and a grid of white light overlapped Renee's body. Hazy mirror images overshadowed Laura, and Reiki fused herself to Raven's waist as her body morphed into stained-glass quicksilver before it reformed into the armor of Kamen Rider Revya. Dark green hexagonal energy extended from the mechanical black beetle on Souji's belt to form the bulky Masked Form armor of Kamen Rider Kabuto.

* * *

When the time train roared into Xaviax's base . . . it had indeed taken Xaviax by surprise, but not nearly as much as anyone could count on. He merely curled his lip in an expression somewhere between a snarl and an amused smirk, as black spiny mantis-like humanoids fluttered out of the shadows. His Riders didn't have to even look at him; they understood what was going on and what they had to do.

"Kamen Rider!"

Four spheres of transformative energy – metallic purplish-gray, silver, ashen gray, and scarlet – later, four dark Kamen Riders stood ready to do battle for their dark master. Emerging from the time train was a small army of Kamen Riders accompanied by five powerful yokai . . . and two about to become even stronger. To the surprise of everyone, Gin was brandishing a pair of silver swords.

"Wasn't planning my big reveal to be like this . . . but no time like the present, huh?" he remarked. He clashed the swords above his head and twisted his arms to form a ring of silver light over his head before bringing down his arms – and the halo with them. After it passed over him, Gin was no longer standing there, and in his place was a silver knight with a wolf-like mask and brandishing the same swords Gin had just held.

"So you _were_ telling the truth, you mangy mutt!" Yukari shouted. "How could you hide something this cool from us?"

"Priorities," the Silver-Fanged Flying Wolf answered.

"Cast Off," Kabuto whispered, twisting the horn on his Zecter so that it rotated backwards.

"_CAST __OFF,__"_ the Zecter echoed his words as the bulky Masked Form armor flew off Kabuto's body, revealing much sleeker black armor beneath with red circuits briefly flashing on his chest and helmet. The helmet's horn locked into place between the golden eyepieces of his visor, completing the transformation. _"__CHANGE __BEETLE.__"_

Kamen Rider Onyx removed Moka's rosary, unleashing her truest self . . . and her full powers along with it. "Let's ride."

"All of you together just for us?" Xaviax mocked, having morphed into his own battle form. "I'm flattered."

"Don't be," Kamen Rider Wing Knight snarled.

Rapidly slotting their cards, the Advent Riders called their weapons to their hands, ready to do battle, as did Kamen Rider Alter, brandishing a barbed sword almost identical to Eubulon's but sleeker. Inner Moka smirked at the transformed Gin. "You owe us an explanation," she declared imperiously, albeit with a hint of excitement at the power he was radiating in his armored form.

"We survive this, I'll give you one," Silver Fang replied languidly.

"Are you all going to waste time chattering amongst yourselves, or is blood going to be shed tonight?" Xaviax challenged.

"_Yours,_" Kamen Rider Noir, Ruby, answered coldly, brandishing her Ebon Lancer in its dual sword form.

It was at that moment that an orb of bright light flew into Inner Moka, none other than Sieg taking the opportunity to possess her. _"__Mind __if __we __work __together __for __a __while, __princess?__"_ he asked her telepathically.

Inner Moka answered telepathically as well. _"__You __.__.__. __are __quite __the __brazen __one, __aren__'__t __you?__"_

"_I __think __you__'__ll __like __what __I __can __do __for __you, __princess,__"_ Sieg replied coolly.

As a result of Sieg's possession, Inner Moka's white hair was now styled in ornate cornrows partially tied back in an elegant ponytail and a white feather boa wrapped snugly around her shoulders. Her outfit had changed as well, from the simple sundress worn by Outer Moka to a sleeveless white jacket cinched in the waist by a thick white belt in such a manner as to draw attention to the flare of her hips. Under that white jacket were a black halter top and black short shorts with knee-high white boots. The most striking change, though, was in her eyes, which had turned white while still retaining the slit pupils of her natural vampiric state.

"Sieg!" Den-O Liner Form shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"

W-Moka turned to Den-O with a slow, confident smirk. "The Taros get to join you in this fight, Ryotaro. Why can't I? And this elegant beauty . . . is a perfect fit for me." She then turned to the forces arrayed in opposition to her and the others and swept her arm out in a defiant pose. "Come and bring it."

Onyx, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Noir, and Silver Fang just gaped at W-Moka with confusion. "Oh, my God!" Kurumu exclaimed, the first to find her voice. "She's even sexier than before!"

_Moka __.__.__. __I__'__m __even __more __in __love __with __you __than __ever!_ Yukari thought lustfully.

Kamen Rider Impact attacked first with his Hopper Knuckle equipped as a right-hand gauntlet, moving so fast that he would be impossible to see even for most yokai. W-Moka, on the other hand, just deflected his powered punch with a graceful spinning chop that flowed into a high spinning kick that knocked Impact back quite a few yards. When she stopped her twirl, it was in an equally graceful battle pose with a beckoning gesture from her foremost hand.

Kamen Riders Strife, Argent, and Ricochet attacked as one with their swords, but the twirling W-Moka alternately evaded and parried their attacks before countering with her own strikes. "And I thought Vamp Moka was bad," Strife muttered, briefly nursing his wound from the hard kick W-Moka had delivered to his chest.

"You!" Ricochet snarled, flipping her Biter Blades into "gun mode" and shooting at W-Moka. The Imagin-possessed vampire simply dodged Ricochet's blasts with a positively unearthly grace and agility before flashing right into Ricochet's masked face. Ricochet barely had time to yelp in surprised outrage before W-Moka kicked her to the ground.

"Trash," W-Moka murmured coldly.

_TRICK VENT._

Argent began to attack W-Moka with her Stinger Needles, ultrathin twin blades extended over her middle fingers from odd wrist mounts, moving so quickly she left behind confusing afterimages. W-Moka just kept on dodging, this time with her hands held behind her back, as if to mock the silver-armored dark Rider.

"How is this happening?" Argent snapped. "You're not supposed to be dodging me like this!"

"Your parlor tricks mean nothing to one like me," W-Moka taunted.

While the dark Riders were busy trying to fight W-Moka, the Riders and their yokai allies had to deal with the seemingly endless hordes of mantis-like black demons. "Double dragon!" Dragon Knight called out to Onyx.

"Got it," Onyx replied.

_STRIKE VENT._

With both dragon Riders equipping their Drag Claws, their respective dragons emerged to attack with exhalations of orange and blue-black flame that incinerated many of the demonic mantis chimera. Calling their Drag Sabers next, the twin dragon Riders began slashing their way through the mantis chimera, as did Kamen Riders Wing Knight, Siren, Strike, Wrath, and Noir.

Wrath used his speed-teleport rushes to deal with the mantis chimera more quickly, while the Advent Master slashed the Speed Vent card through his Visor to do the same. Kamen Rider Knight Saber slashed the _MACH_ Rouse Card through his Saber Rouser, and accelerated through the mantis chimera as well. With a call of "Clock Up" that was echoed by his Zecter, Kabuto became a black blur of extreme speed that tore through the mantis chimera in not even an eye blink. Silver Fang almost literally ripped through the monsters using his natural speed and his swords.

Kamen Riders Alter and Revya were fighting back-to-back with each other and Den-O Liner Form, wielding their blades with deadly effect and skill against the mantis chimera. Kamen Rider Triad just battered the mantis chimera with her armored fists, as did Kamen Rider Camo when he wasn't using his Hold Vent to reel in the monsters. Kamen Riders Thrust and Spear hammered the monsters with Thrust's Metal Horn and Spear's Gazelle Stab, and Axe used his namesake Visor to slash through the chimera.

Kamen Rider Torque blasted away at the mantis-like beasts with his Giga Cannon, while Dime Trigger and Triad did the same with their Rouser gun and Triad Blaster, respectively. Dime Trigger's Ventaran twin Sting used his Copy Vent to "replicate" the Giga Cannon and shoot down the mantis beasts with the copied weapon. Kamen Rider Incisor pounded the monsters with his Cancer Pincer when he wasn't using it to grab them by the neck and throw them.

Yukari, Mizore, and Kurumu were not exactly standing idly by, either, as Yukari used her magic to sharpen her tarot cards to very lethal degrees when said magic forcefully propelled those cards at the mantis chimera. Mizore and Kurumu were fighting together as a tag team, their claws slicing through the mantis chimera when Mizore wasn't freezing them and then shattering their frozen bodies instead. Kurumu also backed up her claws with illusionary traps to paralyze the chimera and set them up for the kill.

* * *

Having trounced the Dark Riders soundly, W-Moka just looked upon Xaviax with a contemptuously challenging smirk. "So . . . is this the mighty conqueror I see before me? Or am I just looking at a weakling letting his pawns do all the hard work?"

W-Moka got her answer when Xaviax punched her in the face so fast that he'd actually taken her by surprise. W-Moka rolled with the punch and to her feet, running the back of her hand over her mouth to wipe off the blood. "You . . ." She laughed in his face. "Is that _all_ you can do?"

A telekinetic blast was Xaviax's answer, pinning W-Moka against the wall as Xaviax clenched his hand in a choking gesture. "I am going to enjoy breaking you, Moka Akashiya . . . he loves you most, does he not? The despair on his face when he sees what's left of you is going to be beautiful . . ."

"You forget, Xaviax . . . I'm not Moka Akashiya," W-Moka replied. "Or didn't you notice the makeover?" An aura of white light in the shape of a flurry of feathers burst from W-Moka, forcing Xaviax to release his grip on her as she landed adroitly on her feet like a cat. "And I think it's time I showed you the difference between myself and Moka, you filthy cur."

Xaviax stared coldly at her. "Show me, then."

The feathery aura of white light coalesced around W-Moka's waist in the form of a belt with a golden winged buckle in its center. A Rider Pass emerged in her hand and she swiped it over the buckle with a cry of, "Henshin!"

"_WING __FORM,__"_ the belt called out as the energy bonded itself to her body in the form of a skintight golden suit with white armor on her legs and arms. White armor also assembled itself over her torso and shoulders with the shape of swanlike energy wings forming behind her back. The image of a swan also formed over her mostly blank helmet before contorting itself into a pair of blue eyepieces shaped like swan wings.

"I've never transformed in a woman's body before . . ." Kamen Rider Den-O Wing Form remarked curiously. "I have to say, it feels nice." She slowly raised the index finger of her right hand above her head. "Now, let's say _I_ rise to the top . . . and _you_ learn your place!"

The sudden burst of power from W-Moka's change into Kamen Rider Den-O Wing Form had drawn everyone's attention, but Den-O Liner Form's especially. Momotaros expressed his outrage from his Sword Form DenKamen on the DenKamen Sword. "Where does he get off, transforming like that in a woman's body!" he yelled indignantly.

"I have to admit," Urataros commented when the turntable hilt of the DenKamen Sword shifted to place his Rod Form DenKamen on the blade side, "Moka-san does cut quite the figure in that outfit."

Xaviax stared down the transformed W-Moka. "You say that an awful lot, don't you, girl?" He chuckled wickedly. "Perhaps _you__'__re_ the one that needs to learn her place."

In a blur of black, Xaviax had struck Den-O Wing Form, who blocked his attack – but barely – with a hand-axe and a bladed boomerang forged from the two pairs of bars kept at her hips. With a mighty push, she forced Xaviax back and then slashed him with the hand-held axe and the bladed end of her boomerang. The weapons cut deeply into Xaviax's battle armor, the wounds leaking noxious purple energy that eventually sealed them. When Den-O Wing slashed again, Xaviax gripped both her wrists and slammed his knee into her stomach with enough force to double her over and then sent her flying by snapping his leg out for a brutal kick.

Den-O Wing rolled to her feet and picked up her weapons just in time to block an oncoming energy-enhanced punch from Xaviax. Having succeeded in that, she twisted her body around for a high snap kick to his midsection that sent him flying, although Xaviax righted himself in midair and launched himself into a brutal flying kick. Den-O Wing attempted to block again, but this time the kick had come with such force that it generated a shockwave of dark energy that knocked her back quite some distance.

* * *

Elsewhere in Xaviax's base, a dark-armored figure swept through the corridors of where the warlord was keeping his new prisoners. Said figure, if he could be seen clearly enough, was distinguishable by the heart motif of his armor. His visor was colored blood red and shaped like a heart, his breastplate was in a very angular heart shape and colored silver with strange red accents, and his belt buckle was hued red and shaped like a heart as well. He kept a bladed bow at his side, holding it ready in case he ran into anybody.

This was Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice, the mysterious rogue who had frequently come to the aid of the Rouse System Riders but did not seem intent on deepening the relationship beyond that. He had his reasons for that, though, namely that the fight he was undertaking was something he believed was best done on his lonesome. Forming too close of an alliance with the other Riders would merely interfere with that mission, as far as he was concerned.

His eyes spotted a pair of armored figures walking in his direction, and he reached for the bladed bow, anticipating a fight. "Hey, you want a fight, tough guy, I'm more than willing to give you one," one of the figures taunted.

"Really?" Shadow Chalice challenged, and he could see the armored pair more clearly. The one who had spoken was male and clad in dark armor vaguely reminiscent of Kamen Rider Onyx's, only taking more after a saber-toothed tiger in design. His belt buckle was framed by what looked like a pair of dinosaur jaws and he looked very ready for battle, almost eager. . . .

The one beside him was female, as Shadow Chalice could ascertain by the curves of her body as revealed by her armor. Said armor was primarily colored green and black, but with harder gold plating over her arms and legs and torso. The winged helmet that concealed her face vaguely reminded him of the legendary angels . . . and the aura of purity and goodness radiating from her was just as angelic.

"Who are you?" Shadow Chalice asked. "You work for Xaviax?"

The darkly armored male barked out a laugh as though that was the most insulting thing he'd ever been asked. "Us? Work for _him?_ Are you –?"

The green-and-gold-armored female gripped the dark-armored male's arm to stop him. "Ifrit . . . this isn't the time." She turned her attentions to Shadow Chalice. "We are not here to help Xaviax. We're here to help the Riders of this world."

"All right, then," Shadow Chalice replied. "But you didn't answer my other question."

"Kamen Rider Ifrit," the darkly armored male identified himself.

"Kamen Rider Tenshi," the green-and-gold-armored female identified herself.

"It's Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice. Now let's get a move on. I don't have all day, and they can't keep Xaviax occupied forever."

* * *

Back where the fight was taking place, Dragon Knight, Wing Knight, and Onyx ran at the mantis chimera while slotting their Final Vents. Dragredder and Dragblacker coiled around the sprinting twin dragon Riders before they jumped into the air, while Blackwing attached itself to Wing Knight's back and carried him into the air while he held his Wing Lancer in position. With exhalations of orange and black flames, the dragons propelled their Riders into burning flying kicks, while Len crashed down with Blackwing wrapped around him like a drill.

Strike used Venosnaker's jaw as a springboard from which to launch into an acid-dripping scissor kick, while Siren summoned Blancwing to blow the mantis chimera at her with its wings, setting them up to be slashed apart by her Wing Lancer. Noir linked up with Ebonwing to throw herself into a flying drop kick, and Sting rammed the beasts on top of Evildiver. Incisor crashed through several of the monsters while in a flying barrel roll thanks to Volcancer, and Biogreeza swung Camo into a brutal tackle that ended in an even more brutal piledriver.

"DenKamen Slash!" Den-O Liner called out as he slashed the mantis chimera horizontally with the aura of a train surrounding him as he did so.

Kamen Rider Revya picked up a strange whistle and placed it to the mouth of Reiki, who was still mounted on her belt buckle. Reiki blew the whistle, and immediately came the melodious shout of, "_WAKE __UP!__"_

"Queen's Burst Strike," Revya whispered as a foreboding aura rose from her and a bat-winged symbol at her feet. She leaped into the air as energy wings sprouted from her feet, wings that acted like a slicing blender when she struck with her Rider Kick.

"_EXCEED __CHARGE.__"_ Kamen Rider Triad fired an energy cone right into the heart of a mantis chimera to trap it, and then jumped into the air to throw herself through the cone in a flying screw kick. The power of the Rider Kick ripped through the chimera from the inside before she emerged on the other end of said chimera, crouched stoically as it turned to dust.

_SLASH – THUNDER – MACH – Lightning Burst!_

_BULLET – RAPID – FIRE – Burning Shot!_

In a flurry of lightning-charged slashes, Knight Saber brought down a number of the mantis beasts, while Dime Trigger's barrage of burning bullets took down even more. Kamen Rider Torque clapped his Visor against his arm. "Nice job, Chris. But how about I show you how it's really done?"

The summoning of Magnugiga made it very clear just what Torque actually had in mind by that last comment. Having seen or been on the receiving end of this particular attack was enough to let everyone know just what was going to happen as soon as Torque plugged the Magna Visor into the mechanical minotaur's back. "How about a trip to hell, courtesy of me?" the green gunslinger taunted while triggering his Final Vent.

A hellish barrage of missiles, lasers, and bullets ripped through the remainder of the mantis beasts . . . and everything else in their path, including Xaviax. Of course, Den-O Wing had brutally kicked him into that very path and was herself outrunning Torque's End of World with the kind of speed and agility that would be completely insane to most onlookers. The really insulting part was that she made it look so _easy._

By the end of it, Den-O Wing did not have a single scratch on her suit . . . and Xaviax was almost literally bleeding dark energy, although his wounds quickly closed. Kamen Rider Onyx slotted his Final Vent. "It's over, Xaviax . . . and it's going to _stay_ over," he growled.

"You really think so, Adam?" Xaviax growled, his voice threateningly low and ominous.

A shot of Dragblacker's flames sent Onyx hurtling toward Xaviax for a finishing strike in the form of a flying kick . . . a kick that Xaviax not only evaded, but _countered_ by way of a vicious choke-slam, snuffing out the black flames that had engulfed the Rider before. Onyx began to struggle in Xaviax's grip, but it was all for naught as Xaviax tightly grasped the black dragon Rider's throat.

"You think . . . you could beat me . . . that easily . . . you fool . . . you childish fool . . ."

Kamen Riders Torque, Triad, and Dime Trigger opened fire on Xaviax with their handguns, only for Xaviax to practically warp through their shots so quickly he moved. In an instant, Triad had been kicked to the ground and the other two gunslinger Riders had been grasped by their wrists with such painful force that it made them drop their guns, and then Xaviax sent them flying with a brutal flip and throw. Dragon Knight and Wing Knight attacked Xaviax together with their swords, but Xaviax caught both their blades and used them to yank the two Knights closer to him, tossing Wing Knight and slamming his knee brutally into Dragon Knight's midsection to bring him low, the Riders' swords clattering in the distance.

_STRIKE VENT._

Xaviax dodged a blast of black fire from Dragblacker and charged its Rider, whose arm was still outstretched with the Drag Claw attached. Before he could strike Onyx down, Kamen Rider Wrath had flashed between them in a flurry of golden feathers, brutally slashing Xaviax with his Gold Sabers. The warlord also got a slash to the back from a Speed Vent-using Eubulon, whose Slash Dagger had been charged with blue flame. Quick to recover, though, Xaviax whirled upon his former subordinate and the phoenix Rider and struck them both with a slashing chop covered in dark energy.

"Clock Up," Kabuto whispered.

"_CLOCK __UP,__"_ his Zecter echoed, and the beetle Rider was off in a rush of speed that would have completely blindsided Xaviax . . . if not for certain "upgrades." As it was, he began attacking Kabuto at equal speeds to the beetle Rider, only to be attacked by Silver Fang, who was wielding his twin swords as a dual-bladed lance. And then came Den-O Wing, who _had_ possessed a super-vampire, slashing Xaviax with her dual-wielded DenGasher hand-axe and boomerang. The trio of attackers managed to overwhelm Xaviax, if only for a little while.

"_FULL CHARGE."_

Den-O Wing threw the DenGasher Boomerang past Xaviax and then flung the DenGasher Hand-axe at his front. Both the boomerang and hand-axe pierced Xaviax, the boomerang from behind and the hand-axe in his front. Den-O Wing ran up to Xaviax and viciously ripped out the hand-axe from his front, creating an even deeper wound. Kabuto added to it by slashing him with the kunai side of his Kunai Gun, and Silver Fang blitzed him with a series of rapid-fire sword slashes. By the end of it, Xaviax did not seem to be in much condition to do any more fighting.

"Yay, Moka did it!" Yukari cheered.

A cruel laugh bubbled up from Xaviax's throat as his wounds rapidly regenerated. "Did it? Did _what?_" he taunted, just before he began a vicious blitzkrieg upon his assembled foes. A fist to the gut here, a chop to the throat there, a knee jab over here and an elbow jab over there, a brutal uppercut there and a vicious snap kick here . . . and his enemies were dropping like flies.

Kurumu attempted to dive-bomb Xaviax with her claws out, but the warlord merely snapped her claws with a knifelike chop covered in hellish dark energy and then stomped on her tail when she fell to the ground. An angered Mizore attacked by shooting ice blades out of her voluminous sleeves at him, only for him to warp out of range of her blades such was the speed at which he moved and punch her hard enough to shatter her completely. Of course, it was only an ice doll in her image . . . and the real Mizore's anger was so much that Xaviax's headquarters was icing over with stalactites growing everywhere.

The stalactites detached themselves from the walls, ceiling, and floor of the warlord's base, brutally impaling him at almost every part of his body. "That is not even the half of what you deserve . . . for what you did . . ." Mizore intoned coldly, her eyes glittering like ice with her fury.

"Hey!" a gruff voice shouted. "With all that ice growing everywhere, you've got plenty of reflections to use to get these people home!"

Adam slowly rose to his feet, recognizing the voice quite well. "Ryuji?" he groaned out.

Kamen Rider Ifrit stood at the entrance before him, with Kamen Rider Shadow Chalice and an unfamiliar green-and-gold-armored Rider by his side. "Adam . . . you really ought to take better care of your girls," he dryly remarked.

Realizing what Ifrit meant, Kamen Rider Onyx rushed to Kurumu and Mizore. "Kurumu . . . are you . . . ?"

"Adam . . ." she moaned. "My tail hurts . . . kiss it better?"

Onyx pointed to his helmeted face, which also hid how bright his face was growing from the embarrassment of the possible innuendo. This elicited a snort from the bruised and battered Yukari. "Guess she's not hurt that bad if she can flirt." The young witch had gotten her dig in, but relief and affection were clear in her voice.

"Yeah, but Ryuji's right," Onyx said, changing the subject. "We have to get these people out of here."

"And my ice won't hold _him_ forever," Mizore added.

"Right . . . where were you when we were getting our asses kicked!" Yukari snapped at Ifrit.

"Taking care of those people," Ifrit replied sourly.

"Point taken," Eubulon acknowledged. "Xaviax can wait for now. The people we came to rescue are more important."

* * *

Ryotaro had used the DenLiner to transport Xaviax's captives back to their homes, but not before Eubulon had changed their memories to a mysterious sleeping gas attack as opposed to mass alien abduction. While inside the medical ward of the DenLiner, Eubulon had taken it upon himself to heal Kurumu's tail and claws, the tail being one of the most sensitive parts of her body aside from her wings, which Xaviax hadn't been so kind to, either.

As the Advent Master attended to the others that had been severely injured in the attack on Xaviax, Adam kept by Kurumu's side. "Y'know . . . my tail still aches a little . . ." Kurumu purred longingly.

"Which tail?" Adam asked sardonically.

"Which one do you think?" Kurumu retorted saucily, flipping onto her knees and wiggling her spade-pointed tail in front of him . . . which had the (unintended?) side effect of wiggling her panty-clad rear end as well. This provoked a blush from Adam as he attempted and failed to avert his eyes from the enticing sight before him. Working up his nerve, Adam very gently picked up Kurumu's tail and stroked the part that had been so cruelly stomped by Xaviax's foot with his fingertips. "Ooh . . . that feels so nice . . ."

Outside, Moka, Mizore, and Yukari were seething with outrage, some more evidently than others. "The nerve of that boob-brained hussy!" Yukari shouted. "She's seducing Adam in that room right now, isn't she?"

"It . . . it . . . it could be . . . totally innocent," Moka demurred quietly, back to her "Outer" persona as Adam had returned her rosary and Sieg had politely ejected himself from her body.

"Or she could be doing things to him . . ." Mizore countered. "If not making him do things to her . . ."

"What kinds of things?" Ruby asked from behind them, looking like she could barely contain herself from drooling.

"The 'sexy doctor' kinds of things," Yukari answered. "A poor patient needs TLC from her hunky doctor . . . and he tends to her aches and pains so lovingly . . . and she needs to repay him for his kindness in any way she can . . ." Her face was flushed red from the heat evoked by the fantasy she herself was describing.

"Wow . . ." Ruby uttered. "You have a really creative mind, Yukari."

"Oh, yes, that's the spot, Adam!" they heard Kurumu's ecstatic cry.

"That's it!" Yukari shouted in jealous outrage. Mizore's demeanor was much cooler, but she couldn't take it anymore, either . . . and the door was forced open by way of a literal ice pick. "All right, boobs-for-brains, stop right –!"

Yukari, Mizore, Moka, and Ruby were stunned at what they had just walked in on, namely Adam gently massaging Kurumu's tail with his fingertips and Kurumu groaning and writhing with pleasurable relief. This prompted an embarrassed glance from Adam, while Kurumu just looked outraged at having been interrupted in the middle of her time with him. Mizore and Moka gaped speechlessly at them, while Ruby and Yukari were blushing bright red with what could only be perverse fantasies.

Adam was the first to regain his voice, which was just as well given that Kurumu looked like she was about to launch into a tirade likely to get Yukari yelling as well and nothing good would come of that. "Girls, I was just helping Kurumu heal. Did you know a succubus's tail is one of the most sensitive parts of her body? And you _did_ see Xaviax just stomp on it back there, didn't you?"

This caused the intruding girls to contemplate for a moment. While Moka could admit to herself that she _was_ jealous of how Kurumu had "used" her injury to monopolize Adam's attentions, she could admit that having one's tail stomped on the way Xaviax had done to her would be quite painful and even Eubulon's healing technique wouldn't completely erase the residual ache. With that in mind, she began to speak.

"I guess . . . we jumped to conclusions about what you were doing with her," Moka admitted shamefacedly. "I'm sorry . . ."

A warning stare from Adam dissuaded Kurumu from sticking out her tongue triumphantly at the other girls in the "harem," while they also apologized for their absence of judgment. That was when Gin strolled in, looking for all the world like he had _not_ just been in a vicious fight. "Oh, hey, guys."

"Hey, why didn't you tell us that was you in the silver armor?" Kurumu asked.

"Because I didn't want you knowing yet," Gin asked. "I'm still working out the kinks of using it. Long story made short, my family is part of a legacy of . . . well, you could say paladins. They fight demons just like that asshole Xaviax, creatures born from the innermost darkness of people's souls. They gain their power from it, and they can control people through it . . ." He looked at Adam sadly. "Given what Xaviax did to you, I guess he fit right in with them."

"Werewolf paladins," Adam muttered, as though trying to digest the idea.

"Yeah, the others were just as confused," Gin admitted sardonically. "It's not that big a deal. Just a family business I didn't much feel like getting into at first."

"Because of what Kuyo did to the last Newspaper Club?"

Gin's expression briefly darkened with regret. "Yeah, you could say that. Figured being a hero didn't pay off . . . least till you showed me the payoff didn't much matter." He smirked at Adam. "And don't give me that 'I'm not a hero' crap. Nobody's buying it anymore, you self-flagellating son of a bitch."

Adam was about to pick up a pillow from under Kurumu and throw it at Gin when Len came in. "Hey. Ryuji didn't stick around. Said he had his own time train, and that he'd see you when he was in the mood to 'kick your ass.' Nice guy."

"Once you get to know him," Adam replied. "Did he tell you who the girl Rider with him was?"

"Only that she was his partner through everything, and that anybody touching or so much as looking at her wrong would be dead," Len answered. "Then she had to make him behave." He let out a small chuckle.

Adam had a brief flash of memory, of the picture of the dark-haired beauty Ryuji had accidentally left behind during their first meeting. He blinked for a moment, and then realization struck him. "That was his girlfriend," he deadpanned.

"Girlfriend?" Len echoed. "No wonder he was so touchy."

"You get the same way about Kase," Adam rejoined. "I've seen you."

"I wouldn't mind if you got a little touchy, Adam. . . ." Kurumu purred.

Adam carefully avoided rolling his eyes. "Well, you're touchy enough for the both of us."

"Adam!" Moka exclaimed, as though scandalized by what she'd heard him say.

Len let out a brief snort as he walked away, leaving Adam alone with his "friends" from Yokai Academy and Ruby. "If you're gonna give Kurumu a massage for her injuries . . ." Moka started. "You have to give _me_ one, too!"

"And me . . ." Mizore added.

"And me!" Yukari chimed in. "I want those strong hands all over my supple, youthful body!"

_What __have __I __done?_ Adam thought to himself, resisting the impulse to palm his face in dismay as the four Newspaper Club girls advanced upon him. Was there such a thing as "too much of a good thing"? In Adam's case, the answer would have to be . . . _yes._

Next: Darkness Dragon Ride

* * *

Endnotes: Well, I guess the title of this chapter was rather misleading after all, given that there wasn't a single kiss in it . . . or was there? You'll just have to wonder about that for a while, let it marinate in your brains, and come up with your own conclusions. If you're wondering about the last scene, I just figured some harem hilarity would work well to relieve the tension of the story so far.

For those of you who've been wondering whether Ryuji/Kamen Rider Ifrit would ever make a return appearance in this story, you should be very pleased . . . and speaking of pleasing crossovers, what did you think of W-Moka? On a more dramatic level, what did you think of the fight, such as it was, once Xaviax got serious, and will it be a portent of horrors to come for the Kamen Riders and their allies? Plus, who was guessing that Gin would turn out to be the Silver-Fanged Flying Wolf? If you did, give yourselves a pat on the back for being right!

And speaking of tension-relieving hilarity, get ready for next chapter! It'll be a madhouse, but not literally . . . we hope.


	31. Darkness Dragon Ride

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 31: "Darkness Dragon Ride"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is the property of Adness Entertainment, Steve and Michael Wang, and Ishinomori Productions. Rosario + Vampire is the property of Akihisa Ikeda, Funimation, VIZ Media, and Shonen Jump. Other Kamen Rider elements that may or may not appear in this story belong to Ishinomori Productions and Toei, and other elements are presumed to belong to their original owners if you recognize their usage. I make zero money from writing this story and receive no other material compensation; my reward is your reviews and the knowledge that you were entertained by this story.

Author's note: I was gonna put this up last week, but certain circumstances that I am hesitant to speak of at this point prevented that, which is why I couldn't do it the first day of the New Year, either. Even so, consider this a symbol of my determination to make a new start for myself, both on this site and in real life. This chapter will be a bit of a breather from the high-stakes combat of the previous chapters, although there will still be trouble brewing in the background. Everyone's just gonna be trying to relax and have some fun, certain issues notwithstanding. If you see anyone you don't recognize from the previous chapters, you can pin that on Shrinking Violet's new chapter for her tie-in, as that's where those characters come from. Anyway, enough talk; time to get on with the fic.

* * *

Kit Taylor came through the mirrored portal leading to the Riders' Ventaran base with a flyer in his hands. "What's that, Kit?" Len asked.

"Summer festival," Kit replied, handing it to Len, who looked at it curiously.

"I've seen this kind of thing before," the older Rider replied. "At least in Japan."

"Guess they're doing it here, too," Kit mused. "Think about showing it to Adam's harem? I'm sure they'd enjoy it."

Len chuckled slightly. "I'm never gonna get used to hearing that. A harem. He actually has a harem."

"I guess that's something he and I have in common," Kit mused out loud. "Not much luck in love."

"Yeah," Len acknowledged.

"Ooh, festival," Kase chimed in, impishly yanking the flyer out of Len's hands and looking at it. "Sounds like fun. Maybe we should all go."

"Could be an idea," Len considered. "Not like we couldn't use the time to relax. Anybody else?"

"I think Master Eubulon's going to ask Shizuka out on a date," Kase brought up, out of nowhere.

"You serious?" Kit asked, with Len looking sideways at his longtime lover.

Kase just smirked. "Yeah. They like each other. A lot. You can't tell?"

"Well, their auras when around each other resonate with attraction," Price remarked, also coming out of nowhere. "I wouldn't be surprised if we saw them canoodling."

"Like you and Maya?" Chance commented, having followed Price.

Price just gave Chance a tolerant glance. "If you want to put it like that."

"Master Eubulon's not the only one of us making love connections, is he?" Chance replied. "I see the way Nolan looks at Ruby . . . and vice versa."

"Well, we can gossip like schoolgirls, or we can spread the word," Len suggested.

"Spreading the word's good," Kit agreed.

"Then it's official, we spread the word, gentlemen and lady," Chance piped up. "And the word is . . . festival!"

"The three F's, people," Van greeted. "Food, frolicking, and fun."

"Aren't frolicking and fun the same thing?" Price wondered aloud.

"Yeah, but you don't want to know about the actual third F," Van replied. "It's not that friendly."

* * *

Back in the hotel that the Riders used as their Earth base, Adam and Moka were cooking breakfast together, Adam looking at Moka out of the corner of his eye from time to time. He couldn't get the sight of her Sieg-possessed Inner self out of his mind, the memory of those piercingly clear silver-white eyes burning in his brain, the majesty of her movements in battle arousing a heat inside him that he couldn't name.

"Adam?" Moka piped up.

"Yeah, Moka?" Adam replied.

"You might want to be careful," she suggested. "Keep chopping that hard and you'll wreck the board."

"Sorry . . ." He trailed off, embarrassed. "I guess I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Moka gently placed her hand over his, never minding that the hand in question was holding a knife. "Whatever it is, Adam, I'm here for you. It hurts . . . when you close in on yourself the way you do sometimes, like you don't trust me to help you."

"I don't mean to," Adam confessed, "but I don't want you or anyone else getting hurt because of me. I'd sooner die than let that happen."

Moka's emerald eyes brimmed with unshed tears when she heard his last sentence, although she kept her head down to conceal them from his sight. The thought of the first person she had ever loved, the first person she had let into her heart dying . . . or choosing to die . . . hurt more than she could give voice to in words. She could understand the terrible guilt that still haunted him for his betrayal of the world he had sworn to protect, but the self-hatred that accompanied that guilt . . . reminded her of how she had felt in the human world, like a monster that had no place amongst people. Knowing Adam had taken some of that feeling away, but to see him stewing in his own private hell broke her heart.

"Do you think Ryuji's still around?" Moka asked, changing the subject.

"Maybe," Adam replied, grateful for the switch. "And maybe we'll get to meet this special girl in his life. She's gotta be something, for him to be so lovey-dovey with her."

"Lovey-dovey?" Moka repeated, confused.

"Well, as close to lovey-dovey as _he_ gets," Adam amended.

"Adam!" a familiar feminine voice called out. "Why didn't you wake me up? I could have helped you with the cooking!"

"Right . . . and slipped love potion into the food to get Adam roaring after you!" another feminine voice, this one younger and with a higher pitch, shouted. "No way in hell, boobs-for-brains! He and Moka have to get together so I can get sandwiched between their hot, naked bodies as they make passionate love to each other!"

"Wow, you've got some imagination, kid!" the chirpy voice of Raven's Kivat, Reiki, exclaimed in some mixture of intrigue, astonishment, and horror. "Makes me wish _I_ had two arms and two legs!"

"Your cooking smells good," Mizore's voice came in from a cupboard, which Adam opened to reveal her contorted figure.

"Hi, Mizore," Adam greeted. "Been in there long?"

"Worth it," Mizore replied. "I like watching you work."

"Well, you might as well get out of there and wait with the others," Adam suggested. "Breakfast's almost ready."

"I'll stay here a little longer," Mizore averred. "It'll do to keep bazooka girl from getting ideas."

Adam sighed and closed the cupboard. "Quite the bunch," Ryotaro remarked. "They remind me of the Taros. Always arguing and getting into it . . . but they all love each other, in their own weird ways."

"I suppose," Adam acknowledged.

"By the way, there's supposed to be a festival rolling in here for the week," Ryotaro added. "You could take the girls out there, show them a thing or two."

"Festival?" Ruby remarked. "Sounds like fun. I've got some outfits for the occasion . . ."

"Outfits?" Souji repeated, curious.

"Oh, don't worry, they're not _too_ outlandish . . ." Ruby defended with a small blush. "Nothing I wouldn't be caught dead in . . ."

That caused everyone to look at Ruby oddly, given the turn of phrase she had used. Ruby just smiled winsomely at them. "Sorry . . . wrong way to say it?"

"Well, Kurumu mangles more English phrases than that one!" Yukari chimed in, more than happy to defend her sister witch at the expense of her love rival.

"Hey!" Kurumu objected. "I don't mangle _that_ many!"

"Settle down, everyone," Raven said, striding in wearing a zippered blue collar with attached sleeves over a dark leotard and faded jeans.

"Oh, hey, Raven," Adam greeted. "You hungry, or are you more in the mood for tea?"

Raven smiled slightly. "Tea would be nice, too."

"Glad to see you're all getting along so well," Nekonome-sensei piped up cheerfully. She let out a low "mm" of hunger. "Is that fish I smell?"

"Yeah, made it for you, Miss Nekonome," Adam replied.

"You're so considerate to your club owner, Adam!" Nekonome-sensei gushed gratefully. "Eubulon-san certainly taught you well!"

Adam blushed from the sudden attention. "Um, no problem . . ." He paused as something came to mind. "Ryotaro, do you know where Laura is?"

"She said she'd get breakfast on her own," Ryotaro replied. "Didn't tell me where or how."

"The less we see of that scary girl, the better!" Kurumu declared.

"Kurumu!" Moka exclaimed, aghast.

"You might want to be a little more careful in how you talk about her, Kurumu," Ryotaro admonished, his normally kind and affable voice lowering by several decibels and taking on a harder edge. "You and she may not get along, but she is my friend and I won't tolerate any who speak so poorly of her, just like you wouldn't tolerate anyone that would speak so poorly of Adam."

That was the first time anyone had heard Ryotaro sound serious, let alone actually angry, for all the seeming serenity he'd displayed. It left them all so stunned they were silent, especially Kurumu, who'd been the target of Ryotaro's speech. Even though he was just a human, the animus directed at her was forceful enough to make her bite her tongue.

". . . I'm sorry . . ." she finally spoke.

Ryotaro's expression and tone softened. "All right, but you'll have to tell her that and not me." Then he brightened up. "Anyway, let's eat! I'm starved!"

* * *

After breakfast had been finished, with even Mizore coming out of the cupboard to eat with them, plans were made for the festival, but after reading up on it. Trent had been kind enough to pull up the info for it when he'd dropped by to visit with Chris and Kit, both of whom had been visiting their fathers earlier. The major themes for the summer festival revolved around Japanese arts and performance, not just in manga and anime, but also in fashion, music, costume play, and the role of technology in those arts, both materially and thematically.

Why was it being held in the United States? Simply put, there were some things one could get away with in the United States that would not necessarily be approved of by the Japanese officials who had to give licenses to these festivals. As such, there would be a little more spotlight on the "underground" side of Japanese artistry than could be publicly displayed back in Japan.

"It's like a cultural festival of some kind," Trent had remarked.

"So bring Lacey," Chris suggested. "She'll love the hell out of it. At least the fashion and cosplay. Might give her ideas, since she's going to be a fashion designer and all . . . and I've heard she's not half-bad at singing, either."

This made Trent blush a little. "You sure about that, man?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Chris replied.

"C'mon, Trent," Kit teased. "You're not scared to ask her out on a real date, are you?"

"Nope, not scared," Trent replied. "Petrified is more like it."

"She's got a soft spot for you," Kit remarked, more serious this time. "Even if she says no to it being a date, she'll probably be interested in the festival enough to come with you – even if she insists it's not a date."

"Cosplay?" Nekonome-sensei mused. "Gives me an excuse for this!" Her tail wagged out from underneath her skirt as her tufts of honey-blonde hair began to look more like cat's ears. "Everyone'll think it's just cosplay!"

"Yeah, but they'll also accuse you of being lazy for just sticking a pair of cat ears and a tail on yourself instead of making a whole costume," Ruby mused aloud. "I could help you with a costume, if you like. I'm sure I can make something in your size, Nekonome-san!"

"All right, then, Ruby!" Nekonome-sensei answered cheerily.

That was when Yukari tackled Adam into a hug. "Oh, Adam . . ." her voice was a teasing singsong. "_You're_ going to be _my_ date!"

"Huh?" Adam uttered.

"It's the system Kase designed for us!" Yukari said. "Moka's gone out with you, Kurumu's gone out with you, Mizore's gone out with you . . . it's my turn now!"

"All right . . ." Adam conceded. "But it's not a date. We're going out together, but it's not a date."

"Why not?" Yukari asked. "Am I not grown enough for you?"

"Exactly!" Adam protested. "You're 12! And I'm . . . I don't even know the last time I celebrated my birthday, but I'm probably pushing 80!"

"You're barely older than I am," Trent commented. "But still, he has a point. You could go to jail for that sort of thing."

"Our love is forbidden?" Yukari exclaimed in shock. Then her cute face took on a slightly sinister expression of glee. "Even better, then! Nothing like forbidden romance to ignite a lover's passion! We'll be criminals together!"

Chris looked positively shocked, shocked enough for his face to be virtually blank of expression. "She goes on about this a lot," Kurumu remarked to him. "As if she has a chance of beating me! Not against these!" Obviously, she was referencing her breasts, and for a second, everyone was worried that she was going to shove Chris's face into them . . . but she didn't. She did something much more predictable, in its own way.

It was _Adam's_ face that ended up in her voluptuous chest. "See! He won't be getting _this_ if he goes with Yukari!"

"At least my chest is firm and supple and doesn't flop around when I move!" Yukari retorted.

"At least she knew which of us to go after," Kit mumbled sardonically.

"Most guys would say he's lucky," Ryotaro observed. "I don't think _he_ feels so lucky."

"Yeah, _really_ lucky there," Raven drawled as sardonically as Kit had sounded earlier.

"As much fun as that looks, I think he's gonna asphyxiate if you keep him there too long," Trent commented to Kurumu.

"Asphyx-what?" Kurumu murmured in confusion.

"He means my husband and the father of my children will suffocate in your enormous boobs," Mizore clarified in a cool tone. "Let him go."

Kurumu, frightened for her love, released Adam from her voluminous chest, which prompted a grateful Adam to gasp deeply for air. "I don't know . . ." he muttered, his face flushed both from lack of oxygen and from the embarrassment of being buried in Kurumu's chest for such a long time. He hadn't been completely deaf to the banter surrounding their unusual interaction, and he had to concede that "marshmallow heaven," as some people would call it, was far more hellish than it looked or sounded.

"Does this happen all the time?" Chris wondered aloud.

"Yeah," Kit replied dryly.

"Hey, when does that festival start?" Adam asked, trying to change the awkward subject.

"Soon enough that we should be getting there before it gets too crowded," Trent replied.

"Are the others meeting us there?" Adam asked.

"Yeah," Kit answered.

"Then let's go," Gin suggested, appearing out of nowhere.

"Where've you been?" Adam asked.

"Scoping the scene," Gin replied. "You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish when everyone around you moves like molasses."

"Don't tell me you were peeping and groping girls again!" Kurumu accused.

"Fine, I won't tell you," Gin retorted snidely, being literal-minded just to mess with the busty succubus.

"By the way . . . I can make costumes for you, too!" Ruby piped up.

"Habit of yours?" Souji wondered.

"Yeah," Ruby confessed. "I love costumes and roleplaying."

Gin's smile turned mischievous after hearing Ruby's confession, as it was obvious that he was thinking of perverted ways to exploit what seemed to be the older witch's fetish. Souji turned a dark glare on the silver-tongued – and occasionally silver-armored – werewolf, the kind he normally reserved for Nolan, warning the other young man of what would await him should he try to "sully Ruby's virtue." Gin tried his best not to look affected, but there was something about the beetle Rider's stare that positively unnerved him.

"We might as well get ready and go," Raven remarked.

"You're going to go, too?" Reiki exclaimed in shock.

"Somebody has to supervise this bunch," Raven answered dryly. "As immature and impulse-driven as most of them are, it's hard not to expect trouble letting them go out on their own."

"Aww, they're good kids, Raven-san," Nekonome-sensei offered. "A bit quirky and spirited, but they're good kids! You don't need to worry about them."

Raven smiled slightly, but whether it was genuine or a more sardonic expression could not be so easily determined. By her estimation, the cat-eared teacher was no more mature – or even _less_ so – than what appeared to be her student body. Then again, cats were well-known for being mischievous and playful, so perhaps it was just an innate trait of Nekonome-sensei's even if she was a yokai.

"It'll be fun!" Reiki agreed with Nekonome-sensei. "You can wear me like a decoration on your belt or something! I'll be quiet and not say a thing!"

"Gee, how giving of you . . ." Raven drawled.

* * *

As such, the motley crew had ended up going to the festival all in costumes designed by Ruby. Souji wore a black trench coat and a white death-mask along with a length of wire tied around his arms. Kit and Adam were dressed in nearly identical black spandex with neon piping, only Kit's was in blue and Adam's was in red, and both wore helmets, only Kit's was clear and Adam's was an opaque black.

Moka wore what looked like an armored pink dress with an armored white half-cape framing her legs and a pink-trimmed white mini-jacket over her shoulders. She also carried a plastic imitation sword and had her hair tied back in a ponytail to complete the costume. Kurumu had donned a black bodice with a heart shape cut out of the front and purple leggings and detached sleeves, plus a pair of batwings in her hair. Speaking of her hair, she'd let it loose for once as part of the costume, and her exposed wings would complete what most humans would assume to be a _very_ realistic cosplay.

Mizore was garbed as an ice goddess, using her unique powers to discolor her skin so that it appeared to be an icy blue, which actually blended well with the otherwise skimpy yet royal blue-violet attire that served as her costume. Yukari was dressed in what appeared to be a red one-piece swimsuit, cloak, boots, and headdress, accompanied by pink leggings and detached sleeves. Ruby wore a skintight leather suit with a built-in bodice and heels shaped like gun barrels, plus a pair of small glasses and part of her hair tied in a bun.

Trent and Gin had opted to dress normally, while Chris had been cajoled into wearing what looked like a soldier's jungle camo suit, but with circuit lines running through the fabric and outlining much of his body's structure. Nekonome-sensei had donned a skimpy tribal outfit matching the color of her hair and tail to make her resemble a "wild catgirl" . . . who was just civilized enough, it seemed, to wear glasses. In the spirit of the thing, Raven just wore her usual outfit, as it would get her "mistaken" for her actual identity, which the more ignorant would justify as really skillful cosplay. Ryotaro had gotten himself possessed by Momotaros, who wanted to join the festival and could easily pass as a cosplayer due to the shade of bright red he'd given Ryotaro's hair.

"Don't we look awesome?" Kit remarked, his voice somewhat muffled through the clear-paneled helmet he wore.

"Hell, yeah!" Momotaros shouted.

"Wow . . ." Trent uttered as he looked at Kit and Adam. "I guess we could pass this off as a time paradox."

"What?" Adam asked.

"You two are playing the same guy, only Kit's playing him before he went to the dark side and you're playing him after he went to the dark side, which is ok because he ultimately saw the light and went back to the good guys' side . . . and then he died at the hands of the main bad guy, which is kind of a downer," Trent rambled on.

"Good to know," Adam answered tersely, not liking the unintended reminder of his own past . . . and possible future. That was when Kurumu sidled up to him, pressing the bountiful cleavage exposed by her costume's bodice against his arm.

"What do you think?" she asked coquettishly. "Nice outfit?"

"_Nice_ outfit . . ." M-Ryotaro repeated with a lecherous smirk.

"Uh, yeah, very nice," Adam agreed, blushing underneath his opaque black helmet from feeling Kurumu's soft bosom pressing against his arm.

"How about mine?" Yukari asked, twirling around to show herself off to him despite her lack of womanly curves.

"Scarlet Witch?" Trent guessed.

"Red's really your color, Yukari . . ." Adam murmured.

"Oh, I'm glad you love it so much!" Yukari declared. "And with Moka in pink . . . we make the perfect pair!" With that, she tackled Moka for a hug, the pink-haired girl nearly dropping her faux sword if not for the preternatural agility that came with being a vampire. "See . . . like this, Adam . . ." Yukari was now nuzzling Moka's armored bosom with an odd smile on her cute face. "And with you, we're a perfect ménage a trois!"

Chris was positively beside himself with shock. "How does she know those words?"

"We try not to ask," Gin replied wryly.

Having managed to gently pluck Yukari off her, Moka turned her shy emerald gaze upon Adam. "Adam . . . what do you think of mine?" she asked tentatively.

"I think you look gorgeous, Moka," Adam blurted before he could stop himself. "Like some kind of pink knight . . ."

Moka blushed a lovely rose color before she could stop herself. "Um, thank you, Adam . . ."

"Does mine appeal to you at all, Adam?" Mizore asked, her cool tone belying the apprehension and anticipation in her crystalline eyes.

". . . It does," Adam admitted.

Ruby waved a pair of toy pistols as though she were practicing katas with them. "What do you think of mine, Adam?" she posed her inquiry while posing quite coquettishly with those toy pistols.

"It's . . . daring," Adam replied.

"Ryuta would love seeing you in that!" M-Ryotaro remarked.

"I'm sure he would, wouldn't he . . . naughty boy . . ." Ruby let out a luscious purr.

"You're really getting in-character, aren't you?" Souji remarked dryly.

"You don't like the costume, Reaper?" Ruby wondered teasingly.

Souji scoffed irritably, while Trent looked curiously at Chris. "Thought you didn't like snakes, Chris," he remarked.

"This one's solid," Chris replied. "And not all snakes are so bad. Price is a nice guy."

Trent let out a wry chuckle and half-smile. "Yeah, he is. Now can we go already?"

"Let's just hope these helmets of ours are street-legal, huh, Adam?" Kit teased.

* * *

When they actually got to the festival, they were amazed at how full of activity said festival was. There were people wandering about all over the place, many of them dressed in costumes and with odd clips and other such decorations in their hair. There were booths featuring all sorts of interesting games, and some larger segments set aside for special rides like merry-go-rounds, UFO simulators, bumper cars, and the like.

The first to meet them were Lacey and Maya, with Chance and Price tagging along, Price because he was Maya's boyfriend and Chance because Price was his best friend. Maya, Chance, and Price had opted to dress normally, while Lacey had dyed blonde and green streaks into her hair and wore a lab coat over a black dress opened in the middle.

"Nice outfit, Lace," Trent remarked.

"Glad to see you're sticking to your usual dork costume," Lacey jibed affectionately. Then she turned to Chris. "Well, hello, soldier boy . . ."

"Hi," Chris answered politely.

"Lacey!" Maya pouted, as though trying to defend the retiring soldier-turned-Kamen Rider's virtue.

"C'mon, Maya, it's just a little friendly teasing," Lacey defended, just before her attentions turned to Kit and Adam. "Which one's Kit and which one's Adam?"

"Adam here," Adam spoke up from behind the opaque black helmet that completed his costume.

"Kit here," Kit spoke up from the clear visor of his own costume helm.

"You shy, Adam?" Lacey asked.

"No, it's just Kit and I both being here at the same time and in such close proximity . . . questions will be asked if anyone who knows Kit happens to show up around here," Adam replied. "Better no one sees my face."

"Mystery man . . . I like that," Lacey teased.

"Prepare to like it a lot less, sister!" Kurumu retorted, possessively pressing her breasts against Adam's arm.

"You his girlfriend?" Lacey wondered. Then she got a mischievous grin on her face. "Oh, wait. You're _all_ his girls, it looks like." She eyed Moka, Mizore, and Yukari with one raised brow before turning back to Adam. "Smooth operator, aren't you?"

"It's not . . . like that . . ." Adam muttered tersely, his helmet covering the terrible blush on his face, while Moka's uncovered face was very rosy with her own embarrassment.

"Sure," Lacey assented, before smiling again. "You know, I do like the costumes."

"Thanks . . ." Moka murmured.

"Hey, there, pretty girl . . ." M-Ryotaro greeted. "Don't believe I've seen you around."

"Name's Lacey. Yours?"

"Momotaros, at a climax from start to finish!"

"Nice line," Lacey remarked, half-sarcastically, half-impressed at its uniqueness.

"Glad you like it," M-Ryotaro rejoined.

"He a Kamen Rider?" Lacey asked Maya.

"That I am . . ." M-Ryotaro replied.

Next to show were Len, Kase, and Nolan, accompanied by the other Ventaran Riders, all of them dressed normally as well. "Hey, guys," Kase greeted.

"Kit . . . Adam . . ." Len greeted the black spandex-clad mirror twins, which caused Lacey to gasp.

"How did you know who they are?" she asked.

"Riders can sense each other," Len replied.

"Thanks for mentioning that," a dry, rough voice greeted, before an odd blade with a revolver grip as its handle was pointed at Len, who turned to look at the one pointing a gunblade at him. He found a man in a fur-collared black leather jacket over a black T-shirt and tight black pants with several thin black belts tied around his waist and a lion's-head silver necklace around his neck. "Wing Knight, I trust."

"Yeah," Len replied. "You must be Adam's friend from the other world – Kamen Rider Ifrit."

"Yeah," the man admitted, lowering the faux gunblade and letting his face fully show through his unkempt long black hair. A diagonal scar ran across his nose, in between icy blue eyes and slightly marring his rather handsome face. He turned to Adam, as though trying to peer through the opaque helmet to see his face. "Adam. Been a while."

Next: Catharsis of Black Knights

* * *

Endnotes: Well, I'm ending it here. It's getting too long as it is, and I'm probably going to have to split this chapter off into two in order to get in everything I wanted to get in. Just for fun, though, can you guess whom everyone is cosplaying as? If you can, that's neat; you win a nice online prize! If not, thanks for playing, anyway!

You'll see the rest of this particular scenario in the next chapter, and after that's done, it's time to get back into the swing of things with the new school semester at Yokai Academy. Enemies old and new will be making their appearance to challenge Kamen Rider Onyx, and allies old and new will also show up to lend him a hand.

Even with that, Adam's relationships with Moka and the other girls are going to become more complex than ever, and is his soul at risk from the changes wracking his body because of Moka's blood? For the answer to that question and to the identities of his new allies and enemies . . . you'll just have to keep reading! Until then . . . let's ride!


	32. Catharsis of Black Knights

"Onyx and Vampire"

Chapter 32: "Catharsis of Black Knights"

Disclaimer: Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, Rosario + Vampire, School Days, Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Kabuto, and Teen Titans do not belong to me. KRDK, Den-O, Kabuto, and all other Kamen Rider franchises belong to Toei and Ishinomori Productions, with KRDK being itself the creative property of Adness Entertainment and Steve and Michael Wang. R + V belongs to Akihisa Ikeda, VIZ Media, and Shonen Jump, while School Days belongs to Studio Overflow and Teen Titans belongs to DC Comics and Warner Brothers. The character of Ryuji Hasuma, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Ifrit, belongs to fellow fanfiction author Kamen Rider Chrome, who has been so generous as to allow me to use his character in my story.

Author's note: It was going to be one chapter, but after seeing how long it got, I figured I had no choice but to split it into two if I wanted to keep everything I wanted in the story proper. As such, the reunion of Ryuji and Adam is going to be mostly depicted here, and Kotonoha, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Tenshi, is going to get to know Moka and the other girls. As for the presence of Teen Titans' Raven here, you can credit that to my partnership with The Amazing Shrinking Violet, who is writing a massive crossover story tying into this one here, only they run in parallel instead of directly impacting each other. Anyway, that's enough explaining, as I now have to resume the story. Let's ride!

* * *

"Adam. Been a while."

"Yeah, Ryuji," Adam agreed. "Definitely been a while . . . you look . . . good, I guess."

"So these are your friends, Ryuji-kun?" a soft feminine voice asked, bringing attention to the young woman beside Ryuji. She wore a blue something that could have been a sleeveless long coat or an outdoor robe over a black tank top and buttoned blue skirt over black bike shorts. She had long black hair that came down to her hips and large brown eyes set in a beautiful, kindly face almost like that of an angel. "They seem nice . . . but you didn't have to put your sword in that guy's face."

"Wasn't gonna use it on him, Koto-chan," Ryuji protested gently.

"It's how he says hi," Adam remarked to Len. "Getting people to fight him."

Ryuji just smirked, before Nekonome-sensei brought herself to his attention. "Oh, hi, Ryuji-san! You've grown up so well since you were last in school!"

That was when it hit Adam, Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, Gin, and Mizore like a ten-ton hammer. "You . . . you're like ten years older than us! How did that happen?" Gin uttered.

"Time-traveler, remember?" Ryuji replied. "And before we waste time on that nonsense, I'd like to introduce my wife to you . . . Kotonoha Hasuma-Katsura . . . the love of my life."

"It's nice to meet you, minna-san," Kotonoha greeted demurely.

Ryuji glared at Gin. "Eyes back in your skull before I take them out for you . . ."

Gin backed off. "Sorry, sorry . . . it's just . . . wow!"

Kotonoha blushed slightly from the womanizing wolf's attentions, and Kurumu sized her up out of a mixture of curiosity and a hint of envy. _Holy crap . . . her boobs are about as big as mine!_

"You must be Adam . . ." Kotonoha greeted him. "You must be a good friend, for Ryuji to have been as eager as he was to come here."

"Eager?" Ryuji repeated incredulously. "Koto-chan . . ." It came out as more of a petulant groan than an expression of serious discontent.

"Wouldn't be the first word that comes to mind when it comes to what Ryuji thinks of me," Adam remarked ironically.

"Shut it . . ." Ryuji growled irritably.

"Still the same old grouch," Kurumu commented. "Nice to know that hasn't changed."

"Bite me," Ryuji retorted. Then he looked at Ruby. "You're new."

"My name's Ruby Toujou!" Ruby introduced herself, "but you can call me Cereza."

"That the name of your character?" Ryuji wondered.

"Oh, yes . . ." Ruby replied with a saucy smirk.

"There you are, Ruby," Nolan greeted, doing his best to keep his eyes on her face even though her costume sorely tempted him to look below her shoulders.

"Hi, Nolan . . ." Ruby greeted back, blushing slightly. "You like seeing me in this?"

"It looks good on you, yeah," Nolan answered politely, trying his best not to come on too strong and look like a pervert, especially since Souji seemed very protective of her, perhaps violently so.

"Glad you like it," Ruby purred.

"Oh, Eubulon-san!" Nekonome-sensei trilled excitedly. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you here!"

"I wouldn't have missed it," Eubulon replied, smiling gently. "Some of the more technologically focused exhibits have promise."

"Any you sponsored?" Nekonome-sensei wondered.

"Not exactly, but some friends at Smart Brain were partly behind a fair bit of the technology here," Eubulon admitted.

"Sounds fascinating," Nekonome-sensei remarked. "But, um . . . what do you think of my costume?" She did a brief twirl to display herself, waving her tail in the process, which most passersby would just think of as a super-realistic effect.

"It looks lovely on you, Shizuka-san," Eubulon replied with a gracious smile that just barely hinted at his baser thoughts about the cat-eared teacher's attire. Nekonome-sensei, picking up on those thoughts due to her superior senses, wasn't sure whether to blush like a schoolgirl with her first crush . . . or pounce on the Advent Master right then and there. Thus, she settled for . . .

"Oh, thank you, Eubulon-san! Ruby helped me with it."

"She did? Interesting. I'm to presume she helped with everyone else's costumes here?"

"Oh, yeah, she's really good at it!" Nekonome-sensei enthused.

Eubulon looked at the spandex-and-helmet-clad Kit and Adam, opting to play a little game with himself. "I'll wager you that Kit is the one in blue with the clear helmet . . . and Adam is the one in red who feels the need to hide his face."

Nekonome-sensei gasped. "Such good instincts!"

"A master knows his pupils, Shizuka-san," Eubulon answered with a slightly teasing smirk. "Even if they are identical twins."

"The name's Momotaros," M-Ryotaro introduced himself to Ryuji and Kotonoha.

"Momotaros . . ." Ryuji repeated. "You're Den-O, aren't you?"

"As Urataros would say, 'My reputation precedes me,'" M-Ryotaro commented, mimicking Urataros's more sophisticated tones.

"A.R.M.O.R. is aware of all Kamen Riders across all realities," Ryuji explained. Then he turned to the Ventaran Riders. "Applies to you, too, especially since your archenemy is trying to make himself into a multidimensional threat . . . and if Peach Boy and Kusakabe are here, that means it's probably working."

"Kusakabe?" Ruby repeated. "I thought it was Tendou."

The white-masked Souji glowered at Ryuji through the dark holes of his mask. "Ask him," was Ryuji's terse response. "Speaking of asking, Adam and I have things to discuss . . . _alone._"

Len and Kase looked like they were going to object, but Adam raised a gloved hand to stop them. "I'll be fine." He turned to the girls that comprised his unofficial harem, all of whom had uncertainty plain as day on their faces. "I'll be fine," he repeated. "Have fun without me. I'll get back as soon as I can."

* * *

Ryuji shared a look with Kotonoha, who nodded briefly before letting Ryuji leave with Adam. Once the two Riders were alone, the opaque-helmed Rider asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"You mind taking that mask off first, 'Rinz'?" Ryuji asked.

Adam disconnected the latches on his mask and pulled it off his face, exposing his mussed sandy brown hair. "All right, done. What did you want to talk about?"

Ryuji sighed. "Figured we might as well talk. Catch up and crap like that."

"Fine," Adam grunted. "You want to know about me? I'm a monster, a traitor . . . I was one of the original 12 Riders of Ventara . . . until I fell in love with a girl, and out of desperation to be with her, I sold out my world to a monster named Xaviax. All he told me was that he could free me, free us all . . . and he vented nearly all of my comrades and enslaved my world because _I_ was stupid enough to let him in and give him access to our Advent Decks. We stopped him in the end . . . but it was too much to take back, too much to forgive . . . I intended to pay it back with my life, worthless as it is . . . but for some reason I'm allowed to keep living."

Ryuji's answer was to punch Adam in the face, hard enough to knock the wind out of him and leave him with a bloody lip. "You're an idiot, you know that? You think you're such a monster? You were _tricked,_ you moron. You want to know something about me? _I'm_ more of a monster than you could ever be on your worst day. I was a killer, a vessel for the hate and anger and darkness inside a man much better than me . . . I bathed in the blood of anyone opposing me, and I _liked_ it. The only reason I stopped was because they _made_ me stop, and put me to work righting all the wrongs I'd committed. I was just doing it because I had nothing else, I either cooperated or I got locked up for good . . . but then I met Kotonoha."

"Your wife?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. I didn't know what it was about her, but something about her appealed to the last bits of good in me that I didn't know I had left," Ryuji confessed. "I felt this need to protect her, comfort her, be there for her in ways that bastard Itou wouldn't . . . and when he broke her heart because he couldn't keep it in his pants and couldn't wait for her, I was there to pick up the pieces, to protect her from his so-called friend when _he_ tried to rape her. But it wasn't all me. She saved me, too, made me human again, or as close to human as a thing like me gets. If it wasn't for her, I'd have gone back to my old ways a long time ago."

"She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Adam mused.

"Damn straight she does," Ryuji confirmed with a small smile. "Just like those girls mean a lot to you, otherwise you'd have found a way to get yourself dead a long time ago if you felt that bad about what happened to Ventara on your watch."

"Yeah," Adam confessed. "I was allowed to retire as Kamen Rider Dragon Knight and live in peace with the girl I loved, Sarah, and help rebuild Ventara as a civilian. But I couldn't stay with her. The guilt of what I'd done, to her, to my friends, to my world . . . it obsessed me – and then I decided I had no choice but to leave, because I couldn't take lying next to her and remembering what I'd done in her name . . . so I packed my things, wrote a letter, and set off to do my penance. Master Eubulon found me, using his mirror-walking ability, and gave me the Onyx Deck and told me to go to a specific street corner where someone would be waiting to take me away, somewhere I could start again and find myself. That's how I got to Yokai Academy.

"And you're right. I'd have let myself die there if it wasn't for meeting Moka, and then Kurumu, and Yukari, and Mizore, and even Gin. They were the closest friends I had over there, the _only_ friends I had . . . even if they all wanted to be more than that to me, except for Gin, of course. He's so aggressively hetero I doubt he even thinks of that."

Ryuji snickered slightly at the digression. "Yeah, he strikes me as a total freaking horndog."

"You'd be right . . . mostly," Adam agreed. "Thanks to them, I started to want to live again, if only to avoid causing them pain . . . for all the good I've been at _that._" His tone on those last words was filled with bitter self-recrimination. "I love them, Ryuji. All of them. They all have my heart, in their own ways . . . and I can't tell them even the half of it because if I make a choice, that's three other hearts I've broken. I can't . . . I won't do that to them . . . and honestly, I think they deserve better than me."

"Do I have to punch you again?" Ryuji asked. "Because I will. I used to think that way about Kotonoha, too, that she was far too good for someone like me . . . and then Koto-chan made it damn clear who she wanted. Not this hypothetical 'someone better,' _me._ I was the one she wanted, and she wasn't going to settle for anyone else, no matter what. That's . . . that's when I really fell for her, I suppose."

"She seems pretty strong," Adam mused aloud.

"You've got no idea," Ryuji agreed with a smile. "But keep your hands off her. You've got four girls of your own already."

"Yeah," Adam agreed with a slight chuckle. He began to put his mask back on. "The girls see me with blood on my lips, you'll have hell to pay."

"What about Wing Knight?" Ryuji inquired. "He wasn't looking so hot when I asked to talk to you alone, either."

"He's like my big brother," Adam admitted before closing the mask over his face. "He watched my back when we were starting out as Kamen Rider trainees, just like Nolan, Kamen Rider Wrath, did for him, since Nolan was the oldest of us. I was the youngest, the 'runt' of the litter, as some of the guys called me. I still outlasted those jerks, though." He snorted sardonically.

"The small guys are a bigger challenge than most people think," Ryuji remarked in agreement. "I learned that the hard way."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Club girls, plus the female Riders Ruby, Kase, and Raven, not to mention Maya and Lacey were in a "girl chat" with Kotonoha. Raven was the most straightforward of them in her observations. "Your husband seems . . . difficult."

"He's not a people person," Kotonoha admitted, "but Ryuji-kun is very kind to me. It's just not a side he likes showing very often. You'd have to know him much better for that."

"You love him a lot, don't you?" Kurumu deduced.

"Yes," Kotonoha admitted with a soft blush.

"I can tell these things," Kurumu said. "Succubae aren't just demons of lust; love is what gives us our real strength . . . so we can tell when someone is truly in love, like you are with him."

"How did you guys first get together?" Moka wondered.

"It wasn't exactly a fairytale situation," Kotonoha admitted. "I was with someone else, whom I deeply loved at the time, a boy named Makoto Itou. Most of my life, I was terribly lonely because I was so shy and nearly everyone at my school seemed to think I was just some stuck-up rich girl, so some girls liked to be very vocal of their disdain for me. Ryuji-kun actually came to my defense, when I first met him, helped me out for no reason at all than he thought I could use some help . . . and I started to have feelings for him, because he was more attentive and openly caring than Itou-kun was acting lately.

"It was after I found out that Itou-kun was sleeping with my best friend Sekai Saionji behind my back that I tried to kill myself, and I would have succeeded if Ryuji-kun hadn't been there for me that night. He confessed that he had feelings for me, and we started to get more involved, but there were things he kept from me, like his identity as a Kamen Rider, and then his past. He was ashamed, because of the things he'd done before he met me, things that made him think he didn't deserve to be loved by anyone, least of all me. I made him see otherwise."

"And how long have you been together?" Kase wondered.

"Ten years," Kotonoha answered with a smile. "We've been married for almost that time, too."

"That sounds like real love . . ." Ruby mused aloud.

"It is," Kotonoha agreed, still smiling. "We make each other happy, happier than either of us has ever been alone."

"That's . . . that's like once-in-a-lifetime love . . ." Maya uttered, and even the usually talkative and bubbly Lacey was speechless with awe at the honest emotion expressed by Kotonoha.

"I don't know about 'once in a lifetime,' but I do know that what Ryuji-kun and I have is special, and I want to hold onto it," was Kotonoha's response. Then she stopped, as though something had just occurred to her. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a picture of a dark-haired little girl who looked about two years old. She had beautifully soft eyes like Kotonoha's, and messy short hair like Ryuji's. "This is our daughter, Kohana."

"She's adorable . . ." Kase uttered.

"She is," Kotonoha agreed with a soft smile. Then she turned to look at Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore. "How about you? How did you meet Ryuji?"

"He came to Yokai Academy on a training trip when he was closer to our age," Moka explained. "Fighting everyone he could, and when he found out about Adam . . . he decided to challenge him. They fought twice, knocked each other around pretty badly . . . but then came this demon named Sauron, who waged an all-out assault on our school, mocking our hopes for humans and yokai to coexist in peace . . ." Her eyes slightly narrowed with quiet anger at the memory. "Mocking the feelings Adam and I share for each other . . . Adam and Ryuji teamed up, sharing Ryuji's time train, to defeat her."

"And we used to think Ryuji was a jerk for going after Adam the way he did, but when one of Sauron's Horrors attacked us, Ryuji took a hit to protect me," Yukari contributed. "I guess that's when we started to see that he wasn't as bad as he seemed . . . or even acted, for that matter. In the end, we kinda became friends, even if Ryuji played a mean prank by trying to challenge Moka to a fight."

Kotonoha looked at Moka curiously, who blushed slightly. "It's just that . . . when my rosary is removed . . . it unleashes my full power – and turns me into a very scary person. Ryuji saw that during our fight with Sauron back in Yokai Academy. That's why he wanted to fight me."

"But Adam is the only one who can remove it, for some reason," Kase added.

This made Kotonoha even more curious. "How did you all meet him?"

"It started when we crashed into each other on our first day . . . my bike and his motorcycle," Moka replied. "I smelled him bleeding, but the only thing he could talk about was if I was all right. He smelled so good that I . . . I bit him. I didn't take enough blood to hurt him, just enough to satisfy my thirst . . . he was so delicious . . . I couldn't get enough of him . . ." While she was talking about his blood, her cheeks had turned a cherry red with what seemed to be arousal from the memory of drinking his blood.

"She does it all the time," Kurumu groused. "Drinks his blood like he's her walking juice box. Don't know why he lets her."

"Maybe because he loves her?" Kotonoha proposed.

"Maybe he's one of those guys that don't mind being used by a girl," Ruby surmised, blushing oddly on the word "used," causing the other girls to look at her curiously.

"We became close after that, Adam and I . . ." Moka admitted. "He even fought to protect me despite knowing that I was a vampire and that everyone else in the school was some kind of yokai. And not just me, but . . ."

"I tried to seduce Adam away from Moka to spite her for stealing my popularity with the male students," Kurumu admitted. "But Adam was able to resist, and I was angry enough to try to kill him and Moka. They managed to beat me, but when the Inner Moka tried to kill me for trying to take Adam from her, Adam refused to let her . . . and that was when I fell in love with him."

"I wanted Moka for my girlfriend, and I thought Adam didn't deserve her at all for being a stupid boy," Yukari confessed. "Then some of the upperclassmen tried to kill and eat me, and Moka tried to protect me from them . . . and Adam actually joined in to save me. Despite trying to get between him and Moka, he swore that he wouldn't leave me alone . . . and then transformed into a knight in black armor on a metal horse to fight for me! I couldn't help it . . . I felt like a princess at that moment, with her loyal knight standing to protect her!"

"You fell in love with him, too?" Kotonoha wondered, puzzled at the girl who looked around the same age Kokoro had been when she first met Ryuji.

"Yeah . . . him and Moka," Yukari replied. "I want them both in my bed, making me a woman!"

That declaration caused anxious looks on the parts of Kase, Maya, Lacey, Kotonoha, and Raven, before Kotonoha hastily moved on to Mizore. "I was lonely for a very long time," the snow girl explained. "When I started reading Adam's articles in the school paper, I felt like I had found someone I could relate to, someone who shared my feelings of not belonging, someone I could love . . . so I tried to make Adam my own, to get rid of everyone standing in my way. When Adam fought me to defend Moka, I was heartbroken. I thought he didn't want me . . . and then he came looking for me, when the gym teacher Kotsubo tried to kill me and pass it off as a suicide to get me out of his way so I couldn't tell anyone what he'd tried to do to me. Then Adam came to defend me . . . and he made sure Kotsubo would never hurt me again."

"Made sure of that how?" Kotonoha wondered.

"Adam killed him," Mizore admitted. "He did it to protect me from him. And that was when I fell in love with him."

"I guess what you all have in common is that he protected you all . . . even when he had no reason to," Kotonoha concluded. "Someone like that . . . is very easy to fall in love with . . ."

"He is," Mizore agreed. "Adam is very lovable. It is why he will be the father of my children."

"Nonsense, stalker!" Kurumu objected. "She doesn't talk about this, but she follows Adam around all the time, hiding in weird places so she can watch him! And he doesn't even seem to mind or care that she's doing that! When he's my Destined One, my Mate of Fate, so he's not going to be making babies with a stalker!"

"_Your_ Mate of Fate?" Yukari scoffed. "Boob brain, when are you going to understand? He won't have time for you because he'll be with me and Moka!"

"Um . . ." Moka hesitated.

"This happens a lot," Kase admitted. "It's something I've tried to curb, mostly for Adam's sake because it hurts him when he sees them fight over him like this."

"He must love them all a lot," Kotonoha mused.

"He does," Kase replied. "But he's scared to admit it because, given his past and the things he feels guilty for, he doesn't think he's good enough for them."

Kotonoha had a sad smile on her face. "He reminds me of Ryuji-kun, in that way . . . they both feel like they have too much to atone for to be loved. Then again, I had more time with him than they've had with Adam, it seems."

"Wounds like that take time to heal . . . and not all of us have gotten over what happened," Kase confessed, remembering the vendetta Hunt, Kamen Rider Axe, had for the original Dragon Knight.

* * *

It was around that point that Adam and Ryuji had gotten back to the girls, with Adam once again wearing his opaque mask and stopping the Newspaper Club girls from fighting. "We might as well check out the sights," he offered. "And maybe I'll get you some cotton candy. There is cotton candy here, right?"

Moka found it in herself to giggle at Adam's offer of cotton candy. "They probably have some in your hair color," Kurumu remarked.

"And yours, most likely," Mizore placidly jibed at the succubus.

"Yours, too, snow girl," Kurumu shot back.

Adam sighed. "They're always like this . . ."

"This is why I'm a one-woman man," Ryuji confessed. "Koto-chan's all I need, and any more than her is just asking for trouble."

"Let's go, guys!" Chance begged. "We're missing all the fun!"

The first on their order of business was a shooting game that used high-powered squirt guns to fill empty balloons on stands with water until one of them burst. The one whose balloon burst was the winner, of course, and would have the pick of the prizes presented to them. By the deathly serious expression on Ryuji's face and Adam's body coiling like a spring, the two dark Riders were ready to play . . . and win.

"Ready? Set! Go!" the booth's supervisor shouted.

Adam and Ryuji pulled the triggers on their squirt guns and began filling their balloons. As the balloons grew fuller and bloated, Ryuji's slightly faster than Adam's, Chance decided now was a good moment to crack wise.

"Wonder what would have happened if somebody had replaced those balloons with condoms?" came the off-color question.

"That is a good question, actually," Gin remarked contemplatively.

"You'd think superheroes would be a little less pervy," Lacey griped.

"It's Chance," Len grunted, although his expression said much about how unhappy he was with the mental picture he'd gotten courtesy of the gunslinger Rider.

"Where do you get off, asking questions like that?" Kurumu yelled.

"I was just wondering," Chance replied. "Don't bite my head off. I like it where it is."

"Who says _that's_ the head I'm going to bite off, you pervert bastard?" Kurumu threatened.

Regardless of how they felt about Chance's off-color humor, nearly every guy in the vicinity sympathetically swallowed in fear. Adam had even gone pale underneath his opaque helmet, his finger clenched on his squirt gun trigger, while Ryuji scowled. _Stupid perverted gun-toting Kamen Rider, making jokes like that in front of my Koto-chan,_ he thought irately. _Teach him a lesson as soon as I'm done beating Adam here._

Indeed, it was Ryuji's wrath that had seen him through the contest, as his balloon had filled up faster thanks to his angry squeezing of the trigger and exploded. "I win . . ." he hissed, his eyes an unnaturally lit blue with his repressed anger at Chance.

"Hmm, guess I lose this one," Adam mused. _Saves me the trouble of figuring out what prize to get and which girl to give it to._

Ryuji got his prize, which looked like a stuffed cute winged cat, and gave it to Kotonoha, pecking her gently on the cheek. Then he turned his icy blue gaze on Chance. "Watch your tongue, boy . . . or I'll have to silence you myself."

Kotonoha put her hand on Ryuji's shoulder to calm him down, while Chance looked like he was about to fight, until Price grabbed his arm. "You know, you did say some pretty off stuff in front of his wife. Some guys take that personally . . ." Then he leaned over to whisper in his fellow Rider's ear. ". . . like _I do._"

Chance got the message. If he didn't want to risk the cobra Rider's wrath, he would back down. After all, Price might have been a nice guy most of the time, but there was a reason Venosnaker had chosen him. To paraphrase a particular saying, a gentle man was merely a patient cobra, and cobras struck fast enough that they _could_ afford to be patient.

"Sorry . . . I guess that was beyond the pale," the gunslinger acceded.

"You guess?" Kase asked, arching a slim eyebrow and smirking.

* * *

The next thing they tried was bumper cars, and they decided which girl was going to ride with Adam by way of a multidirectional game of rock-paper-scissors. It turned into a circular firing squad, in a manner of speaking, where Moka came out the winner, as if the universe had more favor for her than the others. Kurumu and Mizore paired off with each other, as did Yukari and Ruby, M-Ryotaro and Souji, Ryuji and Kotonoha, Len and Kase, Price and Maya, and Trent and Lacey, with even Eubulon being persuaded to join in by Nekonome-sensei.

"Nobody to ride with . . ." Chance pouted on the rail barring the arena from everywhere else.

The bumper cars also turned into a metaphorical circular firing squad, with everyone gunning for each other, but Adam and Ryuji especially. "You drive like a sissy!" Ryuji taunted, just for the fun of it.

Adam growled beneath his helmet and charged Ryuji, but Kurumu got him first, ramming him like he was an enemy ship. Ryuji rammed her back, only to be hit in turn by Adam. The others got in on the fun, too, with Len ramming Adam and M-Ryotaro ramming Len . . . and Maya and Lacey having their fun with each other.

"Why isn't anybody ramming us?" Ruby asked, smiling coquettishly.

"As you wish, cutie witchy!" M-Ryotaro shouted, ramming Ruby.

"So hard!" Ruby exclaimed. "Wow . . ."

Souji glowered at M-Ryotaro underneath his deathly white mask. M-Ryotaro just waved him off. "Come on, it's part of the game! Lighten up!"

* * *

In the end, they were wandering off in search of another activity, only for their search to end when Trent spotted a certain exhibit. "Hey, they're doing something about the Kamen Rider movie!"

"Kamen Rider movie?" M-Ryotaro repeated. "And _I_ didn't know about it? _I_ wasn't in it?"

"Maya wrote a book about our fight with Xaviax across Ventara and Earth," Price replied. "It's sold as fiction. Very popular fiction."

"Popular enough to make a movie," Chance added. "Wonder who's gonna play me?"

"Let's check it out," Kit suggested.

"This ought to be good . . ." Ryuji muttered.

When the trailer started, darkly atmospheric music began to play, setting the stage for the narration as a black-clad motorcyclist rode down an empty street, passing empty skyscrapers. _"There was a war here. 12 of us fought. One of the 12 betrayed the others, sold us and our world down the river . . . For what, I don't know. I know what the outcome was. He took them. Every last one of them . . . except me – and he's coming for _them_ next."_

The trailer skipped ahead to a young man bonding with Dragredder to become Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. _"The Advent Decks, the source of the Kamen Riders' power, were scattered across this world . . . and all in the hands of men who would abuse them . . . men who care for nothing but their own desires, their own power . . . even if it means their world burns."_ As that narration played out, so did images of the other Kamen Riders – Incisor with Volcancer, Torque with his Magna Visor pistol, Strike charging for his Final Vent with Venosnaker behind him, Spear striking down an opponent with a knee jab from his Final Vent, Axe charging with his Dest Claws, Thrust making a thumbs-down gesture and actually saying the words: "End game. You lose."

[Help me if you can / It's just that this / Is not the way I'm wired so could you please / Help me understand why / You've given in to all these / Reckless dark desires?]

"_I have only a few I can count on . . . myself . . ."_ The screen showed Kamen Rider Wing Knight fighting monsters both in armor and out of the armor. _". . . a mixed-up kid who's in over his head . . ."_ The image shifted to Kamen Rider Dragon Knight fighting bravely yet unevenly against the same monsters Wing Knight was fighting.

[Lying to yourself again, suicidal imbecile / Pounding on the fault line / What will it take to get through to you, precious? / Why would I, why would I, why would I wanna watch you?]

"_. . . a patriot who's been tricked into selling out his country believing he's fighting _for_ his country . . ."_ The screen shifted to Kamen Rider Sting pulling a Final Vent with Evildiver . . . against Wing Knight.

"_. . . and someone who shouldn't be alive . . ."_ The image this time was of a leather-jacketed blonde, her face obscured by her flying hair, doing a tunneling back-flip and landing in a crouch just as she slid a white Advent Deck into the front slot of her Advent Belt. Kamen Rider Siren, of course.

[Disconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time / What's your rush now? Everyone will have his day to die . . .]

"_Against him . . . him and his Riders . . ."_ The images shifted to Wing Knight fighting Torque, Strike about to hit Dragon Knight with his Final Vent, Sting against Camo, and Siren and Wing Knight against Kamen Rider Wrath, who was dodging their attacks so fast that they were practically buried in golden feathers. The final image showed a man-shaped figure with insect-like red eyes behind a grilled visor, a grilled visor similar to Dragon Knight's, walking out from the shadows as a red-eyed black dragon coiled around him.

"_And _him . . . _I've got something special just for him."_

The last screen was Kamen Riders Dragon Knight and Wing Knight facing each other amidst bright flames, both transformed into super-powered versions of their armors.

"_**Dive into the mirror and find your fate. Kamen Rider: Shattered Reflection – coming this fall."**_

"Well, that was interesting," Kit remarked before turning to Raven. "I guess we've got a better idea of how you feel."

Raven looked at Kit with a curious lift of her eyebrow. "Hmm, really, Kit? You do?"

"Yeah, kinda . . ." Kit answered. "There's your story, up there on the screen for everyone to see . . . except it's not quite how it happened to you."

Raven paused in contemplation, but the look she gave Kit was one of almost-gratitude. The moment between them was quickly interrupted by Kurumu asking, "Why did they make Onyx evil?"

"Black-painted mirror image of the hero? That's how it usually works in these things," M-Ryotaro replied airily. "And I should know. I've got that damn Negataros bastard running around."

* * *

The next thing they tried was the UFO ride. "Haven't been in one of these for a while," Kit remarked. "Could be fun."

"Are these supposed to demonstrate the power of centrifugal force?" Eubulon asked.

"Yeah," Trent replied. "Just hang on and enjoy the ride."

The ride did start, spinning slowly and leisurely at first. "I'm bored," Ian said. "When is this thing going to really start?"

"Careful, man," Chase admonished. "You're gonna regret asking that soon."

Indeed, Ian did regret his question, as the ride simply built up speed, rotating faster and faster until it felt like the air would be sucked out of everyone's lungs from how fast it was spinning. All the while, they were firmly pinned to the circular wall of the UFO ride, all thanks to the power of centrifugal force. Not that everyone appreciated or even heard Trent's explanation, as they were too busy trying not to lose their breakfast.

By the time the ride ended, a lot of its riders felt very disoriented. "Is this what being on drugs feels like?" Ian wondered. "If so, I'm never starting."

"As if I'd let you," Eubulon remarked idly, while holding onto a dizzy Nekonome-sensei. "It would only impair your performance."

"That was the best ride of my life . . ." Nekonome-sensei murmured in Eubulon's shoulder.

"I thought cats were supposed to have great balance," Yukari mused.

"Pansies," Ryuji muttered.

"You're lucky," Trent said to Adam. "You could have thrown up all over yourself and nobody would see it because of your mask."

"I didn't," Adam replied tersely. Before he could say anymore, they all heard some live music playing, Japanese rock by the sound of it. Out of curiosity, they moved to check it out, and found a band playing . . . with a giant screen behind them showing clips from the Kamen Rider movie.

[Fly towards the unlimited world now / Open the closed door / The heart is a MIRROR that always reflects the reality / Don't be afraid of hurtful things – just be yourself / Grief will make you stronger / DIVE INTO THE MIRROR]

"What's this?" Gin wondered.

"_Mirror World_ is pretty popular in Japan," Maya explained. "It got so big that a popular band there made a song based on the story . . . and it's been commissioned for the soundtrack to the movie."

"Wow . . ." Chris uttered. "Never would have guessed."

"It's kinda funny, how we've got international renown and yet nobody actually knows who we are," Van commented. "The things you can do when you pass stuff off as fiction." He chuckled sardonically.

"It was the only way Michelle would let me write the book at all," Maya admitted. "And if you guys were publicly known, your lives would be a lot more difficult."

"Uh-huh," Len admitted. "Panic in the streets because anything with a reflection could be used as a portal for someone to attack you or spy on you or break into your house or business . . . good enough reason for a lot of people to be afraid."

"And they'd blame us, even though we're trying to protect them," Kit added.

"Way of the world," Ryuji remarked cynically. "Humans tend to not be very appreciative of their heroes when they're too busy being scared of them."

"Unfortunately . . ." Kotonoha added.

[When you speed up / Rather than looking for an excuse / Destroy your timid self of yesterday]

[The quivering voice within my heart calls out / And miracles are born / The eye is a MIRROR that reflects tomorrow / For the drawn tomorrow, the color of the sky / Not to be clouded up / Tear apart the distorted memory now / DIVE INTO THE MIRROR]

The band finished their song to wild applause from the crowd that had gathered to watch them perform. "That was actually pretty awesome," Trent remarked.

"Sure was," Chance agreed. "And man, do I look good on that screen or what?"

"Technically, that's an actor wearing a mockup of your armor, not you," Price corrected.

"Let me enjoy my moment, man," Chance grumbled good-naturedly.

* * *

The karaoke section opened up and Adam was getting pushed to the stage. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I wanna hear you sing!" Kurumu exclaimed. "Moka got to hear you! Why can't I?"

"Um . . ." Adam tried to say something, but with a mighty shove, he had been knocked up onto the stage by Kurumu.

"Oh, it looks like we've got our first volunteer!" the emcee shouted to the crowd. "Who might you be, masked stranger?"

"The Masked Singer," Adam replied sardonically.

"Well, we can live with that," the emcee brushed off. "What song do you want to sing?"

"_My Ruin,_" Adam answered. "You know it?"

"Yes, I do!" the emcee shouted excitedly. "Good classic one there! Hit it!"

The song began to play, with a heavy atmospheric tone to the music as Adam stepped up to the microphone.

[Inside my shadow, I can hear you / Am I near you? / Inside my shadow, I can smell you / Can I tell you? / Inside my shadow, I can love you / Think I need you / Inside my shadow, I can feel you / I've embraced you . . .]

The plaintiveness of his voice as he sang touched something deep inside Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore, as though he were singing to them in particular. As he sang those lyrics, he felt that they were quite appropriate to his feelings for all four girls; lurking in the shadow of his own bitter regret and self-loathing was his love for them. They had all touched him, in their own ways, and as hard as he tried not to get too close, he could feel them all . . . he wanted desperately to embrace them as they deserved to be embraced, love them as they deserved to be loved. . . .

[Am I real? Am I real?]

[Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust / Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust.]

[If there's tomorrow, would you give me / Please forgive me? / If there's tomorrow, you'd be buried / And that just scares me.]

The shattered mirror of his heart lay bare to his fellow Riders, those he called friends, and those he was too scared to embrace as lovers. His world had indeed turned to dust when he made the choice to betray Earth and Ventara for the sake of his love for Sarah, and he had never forgiven himself for that. In his heart, he knew he didn't deserve to be forgiven . . . no matter how much he wanted it, wanted to not be seen for the monster he really was. In truth, they did not see him as a monster, just a broken hero trying to put the jagged pieces of his soul back together . . . only said soul might be reconstructing itself as something _else_ entirely . . . and that was what scared him.

[Am I real? Am I real?]

[Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust / Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust.]

[Save my world / My world . . .]

The musical solo – guitars, drums, and heavy bass – played through for about a minute, with Adam staring into his audience through his mask. He saw Moka, Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore looking at him with astonishment, along with Gin, Nekonome-sensei, Eubulon, and his fellow Riders, which included Ryuji and Kotonoha.

"He . . . he hurts so much . . ." Kotonoha murmured. "No wonder you and he are drawn to each other . . ."

"I know," Ryuji whispered. Until his heart-to-heart with Adam, he had not quite recognized just how deep his fellow Rider's pain ran, how much the trauma of his past sins had scarred him. The song he was singing was just making that very, very clear to him now, and he had to admit, Adam could sing.

[Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust / Save my ruin, and us / My world has turned to dust.]

[Save my ruin / My world . . . My world . . .]

"Wow . . ." Gin breathed out. "Guy really knows how to work those chords."

"Uh-huh," Ian agreed. "If we hadn't become Riders, he'd have made an awesome rocker."

The Newspaper Club girls overheard Ian's comment and began to imagine Adam as a rock star, with messier hair, some dark eyeliner, studded leather clothes, and them as his groupies. Their fantasies each placed themselves as the centerpiece of their would-be lover's "estrogen brigade" with the others in the background. Yukari, though, was willing to share with Moka because her longstanding fantasies featured both Moka and Adam as her lovers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Masked Singer!" the emcee shouted. "Give it up!"

Loud applause resounded through the open-air concert area, and Adam took a bow before walking off the stage. "Didn't know you had it in you," Kit remarked to his mirror twin.

"Yeah . . . blame Kurumu," Adam responded.

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at Adam. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Adam . . . although I wouldn't mind you biting elsewhere." She let that go with a coquettish giggle.

"The only thing you're feeding him is suffocation from your overgrown tits!" Yukari yelled.

"You're just jealous because you can't do it for Adam the way I can," Kurumu taunted.

"You poor bastard," Ian remarked to Adam. "Must be hard, having all those cute girls all over you."

"No idea," Adam answered wryly.

Next: Decay of the Dragon

* * *

Endnotes: Well, that should be enough for today, and enough to end this year on a high note. You won't have to wait for long next year, as I've got lots planned for Kamen Rider Onyx and his friends, allies, and would-be lovers. Some of them will make their first appearances within the next few chapters, and there will be new enemies coming along with them to start off the new semester at Yokai Academy. Our hero might be the new top cop of the Academy now, but not everyone is going to be so content with that . . . and they won't be taking it lying down, either. Of course, with the radical changes within Adam's body and soul, they might just be biting off more than they can chew . . . but at what price to Adam and his cohorts? To answer that and other questions, you'll just have to tune in for the next chapter of "Onyx and Vampire." Let's ride!

P.S. The songs used in this chapter are "The Outsider," by A Perfect Circle for the Kamen Rider movie trailer, the Apocalypse Mix from the Resident Evil: Apocalypse and RE: Afterlife soundtracks, "Dive Into the Mirror," by defspiral off the Japanese dub for KRDK, and finally, "My Ruin," by Sevendust and covered by Adam, the Masked Singer. Those of you who've watched Kamen Rider Double will understand the reference.


End file.
